HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments: EU Law

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implementation of EU directives on animal experimentation; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government welcomes the new Directive, which will strengthen the protection of animals used in scientific procedures, harmonise the regulations across all 27 EU member states, and promote the development of alternatives to the use of animals in research. We believe it will provide a practical framework for the regulation of animal testing in Europe, setting a benchmark for the rest of the world.
	In line with Government policy on the implementation of European legislation, we propose to “copy out” most of the provisions of the directive. There are, however, a number of areas in which we intend to retain current stricter United Kingdom standards. For example, we propose to retain special protection for dogs, cats and horses as well as non-human primates and to retain all current United Kingdom care and accommodation standards that are stricter than those set out in Annex III to the directive. All are justified on animal welfare grounds or to maintain public confidence that animals used in experiments and testing will continue to receive a very high level of protection.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour injunctions were issued in (a) England and Wales, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) Ashfield constituency in the last three years.

James Brokenshire: Data on antisocial behaviour injunctions granted under Section 153 of the Housing Act 1996 to social landlords in England are shown in the table. The total numbers of injunctions issued in England includes those issued to local authority (LA) landlords and to private registered providers (PRP) which own or manage more than 1,000 units of stock. However, data on injunctions issued to PRP landlords are collected at national level, but not at local authority level so the figures provided for Nottinghamshire refer only to injunctions issued to LA landlords. No data are yet available for the financial year 2011-12.
	The Welsh Government collected information centrally on antisocial behaviour injunctions up to 31 March 2011 covering injunctions granted to social landlords in Wales against their tenants. These include all injunctions granted for reasons of antisocial behaviour under Sections 152 (local authorities) and 153 (local authorities and RSLs) of the Housing Act 1996. Social landlords were granted 121 injunctions in 2009-10 and 134 in 2010-11. No data are available for the financial year 2011-12.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many intervention orders were issued in (a) England and Wales, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) Ashfield constituency in the last three years;
	(2)  how many individual support orders were issued in (a) England and Wales, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) Ashfield constituency in the last three years.

James Brokenshire: The number of individual support orders (ISOs) attached to antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued at all magistrates courts in England and Wales was 71 in 2009 and 40 in 2010. In 2009 and 2010, no ISOs were attached to ASBOs issued by any magistrates courts in the Nottinghamshire police force area. Data for 2011 are planned for publication on 18 October 2012.
	Centrally held data on ASBOs and ISOs are not collated below police force area level.
	In 2009 and 2010, a total of four intervention orders (IOs) were reported to the Ministry of Justice as being attached to ASBOs issued by courts in England and Wales. None were issued by courts in the Nottinghamshire police force area.

Antisocial Behaviour: Barnsley

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions were brought and (b) fixed penalty notices were issued for antisocial behaviour in Barnsley Central constituency in each of the last 10 years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

Essex Police Authority

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Essex Police Authority has received since 2010; how many such requests were (a) agreed to and (b) refused in each of those years; how many refusals were subject to appeal to the Information Commissioner in each of those years; how many such appeals were successful; if she will place in the Library copies of the material subsequently provided in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: This is a matter for Essex Police Authority. Information on freedom of information requests received by police authorities is not collected centrally.

Firearms: Licensing

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has any plans to review the charges that police forces may levy for firearms licences.

Nick Herbert: The Government is considering information submitted by the police on the cost of issuing firearms certificates.

Immigration

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) letters, (b) emails and (c) other types of correspondence on immigration her Department has received in the last year.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not routinely collect statistics on the number of inquiries made by members of the public and these could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However figures are published annually by the Cabinet Office on inquiries from Members of Parliament. In 2011 the UK Border Agency received 48,712 inquiries by letter or email.

Knives: Crime

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many projects funded by her Department aimed at reducing knife crime have been the subject of evaluation reports since 2008; whether such reports were made available to the public; if she will place in the Library a copy of each such report which is not available online; what her policy is on evaluation of such projects in the context of further round funding; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Tackling Knives Action Programme was taken forward by the previous Government. That programme has ended and all information relating to it can be found on the National Archives website.
	This Government's programme to tackle knife crime is set out in the Ending Gang and Youth Violence Report published in November 2011 (Command Paper No. Cm8211, available from the Vote Office).
	The report provides information on our Communities Against Gangs, Guns and Knives Fund. Section 4 of the report sets out how we will monitor progress.

Manchester Declaration

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent contribution her Department has made to implementation of the 2005 Manchester Declaration.

Damian Green: The 2005 Manchester Ministerial Declaration provided the basis for an eGovernment Action Plan, which formed part of the EU's i2010 Strategy, and was completed in 2010. The UK contribution to the action plan was managed and coordinated by the Cabinet Office and supported by the Home Office.
	The Manchester Declaration has now been superseded by the Malmo Declaration and eGovernment Action Plan (2011-15) and the broader Digital Agenda for Europe. The Home Office contributes to its implementation and is represented on various working groups including the group on European (and International) Interoperability. The UK contribution to the eGovernment Action Plan is again being led by the Cabinet Office.

National Policing Improvement Agency

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what total amount was spent on redundancy payments at the National Policing Improvement Agency in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Nick Herbert: For 2010 the cost of compulsory redundancies was £195,000. There were no voluntary redundancies.
	For 2011 the cost of compulsory redundancies was £280,000 and the cost of voluntary redundancies was £270,000.
	There have been no redundancies in 2012 to date.

Parliamentary Private Secretaries: Visits Abroad

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will list the occasions since May 2010 on which her Parliamentary Private Secretary has travelled overseas with her or on her behalf.

Damian Green: The Home Secretary's Parliamentary Private Secretary has not travelled overseas with her or on her behalf on any occasion since May 2010.

Police

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect of introducing compulsory fitness tests on police forces; and what plans she has to adapt the test to differentiate according to age;
	(2)  what plans she has to introduce compulsory fitness tests for police officers; and what procedures she plans to introduce for officers who fail the test.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 28 June 2012
	The recommendations on fitness testing in Tom Winsor's Independent Review of Police Officer and Staff Remuneration and Conditions have been referred to the police negotiating machinery for consideration, where I would expect these issues to be discussed in detail before a recommendation is made.
	Tom Winsor included this recommendation in the Policy Equality Statement in his report which states that, in his view, the test is justifiable because it is job- related and does not have a detrimental effect on people on the grounds of age or sex.
	The Home Secretary will consider carefully the potential equality impact of any recommendations on annual fitness tests for officers in accordance with her legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010.

Police

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to reduce the pay of police officers who are not on the frontline; how many officers she expects to leave the police as a result of these plans; and what assessment she has made of the effect of her plans on the (a) efficiency and (b) response time of police forces.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 28 June 2012
	The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has referred recommendations on police officer pay from the final report of Tom Winsor's independent review to the police negotiating machinery. She will consider the recommendations of the police negotiating machinery very carefully in line with her statutory responsibilities.

Police: Information and Communications Technology

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what total amount was spent on mobile technology by each police force in England and Wales in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12;
	(2)  what total amount was spent on mobile technology by the National Policing Improvement Agency in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Nick Herbert: Information on the total spent by each police force on mobile technology is not held centrally. The recent report by the National Audit Office identified that expenditure from the 23 forces that responded to its survey was £9.82 million in 2010-11 and £4.43 million in 2011-12.
	The total amount spent by the National Policing Improvement Agency on mobile technology in 2010-11 and 2011-12 was £10.33 million and £3.14 million respectively. These figures include both the Mobile Information programme and MobileID project.

Staff: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of people employed by her Department in Scotland.

Damian Green: There were 634.47 full-time equivalent paid civil servants employed by the Home Office (including its executive agencies) in Scotland at the end of May 2012.

Tim Larkin

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the evidence she considered in taking her decision to make an exclusion order against Tim Larkin; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: It has previously been confirmed that Mr Larkin has been excluded from the UK. It is Home Office policy not to comment any further on individual cases.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Parades

Mel Stride: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received on parades in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), and I have regular and ongoing discussions with a range of organisations and individuals with an interest in parades. This includes the Orange Order, local politicians, community representatives, the PSNI and the Parades Commission itself.

Parliamentary Private Secretaries: Visits Abroad

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list any occasions since May 2010 on which his parliamentary private secretary has travelled overseas with him or on his behalf.

Owen Paterson: My parliamentary private secretary has not accompanied me on overseas visits, nor has he deputised for me on any such visits.

Ulster Bank

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with Ulster Bank on its plans for dealing with the technical problems affecting account holders in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effects of the technical problems at Ulster Bank on Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), to the hon. Member for Foyle (Mark Durkan) on 4 July 2012, Official Report, column 901. I have discussed the situation about Ulster Bank with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and the Minister of State has also spoken to the Northern Ireland Minister for Finance and Personnel. The Minister then spoke on our joint behalf to Sir Philip Hampton, Chairman of RBS, and impressed on him that the systems failure at Ulster Bank has caused significant distress and problems to many of its customers—including some of my staff who not have received their salaries. Sir Philip has assured us that RBS is addressing the technical issues as quickly as they can, that resolving this issue is their top priority and that significant resources have been moved to Ulster Bank for that purpose.
	Sir Philip has also assured the Minister of State that Ulster Bank will treat their customers properly and fairly and that they will be compensated fully for financial loss.
	HM Treasury and the FSA are carefully monitoring the situation, as am I, and the Minister of State will receive an update on progress from Sir Philip on Monday.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Cyprus

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the reunification of Cyprus.

David Lidington: The UK is committed to supporting the UN's efforts to achieve a settlement based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality as defined by the relevant Security Council resolutions. This is a process that is by Cypriots for Cypriots. As and when it is appropriate I raise the issue with my fellow EU counterparts.

Egypt: Israel

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Egypt on the Egypt-Israel peace treaty.

Alistair Burt: Throughout the period of transition we have pressed the Egyptian authorities to respect the existing obligations already agreed by Egypt.
	We want Egypt to continue to act as a force for regional peace and stability, including by maintaining a productive relationship with Israel. We were encouraged by Dr Mohammed Morsi's first speech as the new President of Egypt on 24 June in which he stated that Egypt would respect all international conventions and obligations already agreed by Egypt. We will follow closely the development of the new Egyptian Government's foreign policy, including relations between Egypt and Israel.

Embassies: Members

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason his Department's consulate in Malaga refuses to accept emails or faxes from hon. and right hon. Members.

David Lidington: The Malaga consulate, and other overseas posts, routinely respond to emails or faxes from hon. and right hon. Members. Due to consular confidentiality, however, posts cannot always share full details of consular cases with third parties, including hon. and right hon. Members, if not authorised to do so by the individual who is receiving consular assistance.

Embassies: Members

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on hon. and right hon. Members raising constituency issues directly with British consulates (a) in Spain and (b) elsewhere overseas.

David Lidington: Hon. and right hon. Members are welcome to raise constituency issues directly with any of our overseas posts. Due to consular confidentiality, however, posts cannot always share full details of consular cases with third parties, including hon. and right hon. Members, if not authorised to do so by the individual who is receiving consular assistance.

European Union: Legislative Competence

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Coalition Agreement, page 19, what components are being covered as part of his Department's work to examine the balance of the EU's existing competences; how many of his Department's officials are working on this objective; and when he expects to publish its outcome.

William Hague: The examination of these issues draws on existing resources. Extensive preparatory work is progressing and an announcement will be made to Parliament at the appropriate time.

Middle East

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of reports that Hamas claimed responsibility for firing rockets from Gaza in June 2012. [R]

Alistair Burt: On 20 June the Al-Qassam Brigade, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for firing rockets for the first time in over a year. They said that the attacks were in response to the death of one of their members in an Israeli air strike. We have condemned indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza into Southern Israel and urged all sides to exercise restraint and prevent civilian casualties and loss of life. We believe it is in no one's interest to see further violence in Gaza.

Middle East

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the extent of arms smuggling into Gaza. [R]

Alistair Burt: There continue to be credible reports of smuggling of significant quantities of weapons, particularly rockets, into Gaza via the tunnels. The UK recognises that Israel has legitimate security concerns that must continue to be safeguarded whilst believing that the current Israeli restrictions on Gaza do tremendous damage to the economy and living standards of ordinary people in Gaza and do not serve Israel's long-term security interests.

Middle East

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure Hamas accept and abide by the Quartet Principles. [R]

Alistair Burt: We do not talk to Hamas. It remains our position that Hamas must make credible movement towards the Quartet Principles of renouncing violence, recognising Israel and accepting previously signed agreements. This remains the benchmark against which its intentions should be judged. If, through the reconciliation process with Fatah, Hamas supports a new Palestinian government which rejects violence and pursues a negotiated peace then that may be a good first step. But we will judge them by their actions as well as their words.

Morocco

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will instruct HM Ambassador to Morocco to raise with the Moroccan authorities the case of Hamdi Etarfaoui found dead in the Saguia El Hamra River in El Aaiún on 30 May 2012.

Alistair Burt: Our ambassador to Morocco has not raised this specific case with the Moroccan authorities. We will keep this under review.

Morocco

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will instruct HM Ambassador to Morocco to raise with the Moroccan authorities the circumstances surrounding the burial of Said Dunbar and the closure of Khat Eramla Cemetery in El Aaiún, Western Sahara on 4 June 2012.

Alistair Burt: Officials from the British embassy in Rabat visit Western Sahara on a regular basis to discuss human rights concerns, including with the local authorities. Our ambassador to Morocco also maintains a close dialogue with the Moroccan authorities on human rights cases.

Parliamentary Private Secretaries: Visits Abroad

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which occasions his parliamentary private secretary has travelled overseas with him or on his behalf since May 2010.

David Lidington: As set out in the Ministerial Code, Departments publish, at least quarterly, details of all travel overseas by Ministers. Foreign and Commonwealth Office information can be found at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/transparency-and-data1/hospitality/#Ministers
	As also set out in the code, at paragraph 3.11:
	“Where it is proposed to take a Parliamentary Private Secretary on an official visit overseas, the Prime Minister’s approval is required. Official overseas travel by a Parliamentary Private Secretary should be exceptional.”
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has not been accompanied by his parliamentary private secretary on any visits overseas. Nor has my hon. Friend the Member for Broadland (Mr Simpson), travelled overseas on his behalf.

Press Releases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many press releases his Department has issued in the last 12 months.

David Lidington: This information is not held centrally and there would a be disproportionate cost to provide a definitive figure. Our available records indicate that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London issued 613 press releases in the last 12-month period. This figure does not include some press releases sent out of hours, press releases issued locally by our Posts overseas, or other material supplied to the press, or published in part for their use, such as operational notes and digital news and publishing on the FCO website.

Public Expenditure

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to reduce expenditure by his Department.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is determined to deliver the best possible service to the UK taxpayer at the lowest possible cost, while contributing to the Government's goal of reducing the budget deficit. The spending review (SR) settlement for the FCO requires a 10% real reduction in the budget by 2014-15. In response, the FCO has drawn up a programme to reduce its administration costs by £100 million per year from 2014-15. The FCO will reshape its work force (including by reducing the number of junior staff being posted overseas), restructure its estate (by reducing the costs of office and residential accommodation) and restructure its corporate services (by consolidating finance, HR and purchasing functions into country or regional hubs and replacing UK-based staff with local staff where it is cost-effective to do so). One year in, the FCO is on target to deliver these planned savings by the end of the SR period. Spending on IT will also fall. These changes are being implemented carefully and monitored closely. They will allow us to live within the necessary financial constraints and to provide the diplomatic network we need for the future.

SCOTLAND

Parliamentary Private Secretaries: Visits Abroad

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list any occasions since May 2010 on which his parliamentary private secretary has travelled overseas with him or on his behalf.

Michael Moore: There have been no such occasions.

CABINET OFFICE

Twitter

Hilary Benn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance he has issued to Ministers on their use of Twitter to announce or discuss departmental businesses.

Francis Maude: The standards of conduct set out in the Ministerial Code apply to all forms of official communication, using any medium.
	Copies are available in the Library of the House and can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/ministerial-code-may-2010.pdf

PRIME MINISTER

Peerages

Frank Dobson: To ask the Prime Minister how many of the people elevated to the peerage since May 2010 who take the Conservative party whip (a) worked and (b) are working in the financial sector.

David Cameron: Information on people elevated to the peerage since May 2010 is in the public domain.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing: Finance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much and what proportion of funding from the affordable housing programme for 2011-15 has been set aside for funding schemes committed to by the Homes and Communities Agency under the spending review 2008-11.

Grant Shapps: holding answer 25 June 2012
	£2.3 billion of public funding had been committed under the previous spending review.
	However, to place this answer in context, I note that the last Administration's spending plans would have involved cuts to the overall DCLG budget. DCLG and local government were not protected budgets under the last Administration's plans (HM Treasury, Pre-Budget Report 2009, p.8) and the last Administration was planning spending cuts of £52 billion by 2014-15, with £14 billion of cuts falling in 2011-12 (HM Treasury, Spending Review 2010, October 2010, p.78).
	I also observe that the last Prime Minister remarked in April 2010 that
	‘housing is essentially a private sector activity... I don't see a need for us to continue with such a big renovation programme’
	(BBC Newsnight, 30 April 2010).
	By contrast, the coalition Government's affordable housing programme will lever in £19.5 billion of public and private investment from 2011 to 2015, thanks to innovative programmes like Affordable Rent.

Council Tax

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by how much the council tax has changed for someone living in a Band D house from 2010-11 to 2012-13; and how much someone living in a Band D house (a) paid in 2009-10 and (b) will pay in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Bob Neill: Details of the average Band D council tax in England for 2009-10 to 2012-13, and the change on the previous year, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Average Band D council tax in England (£) Change on previous year (£) 
			 2009-10 1,414 — 
			 2010-11 1,439 25 
			 2011-12 1,439 0 
			 2012-13 1,444 5 
		
	
	This information is published in a statistical release ‘Council tax levels set by local authorities in England—2012-13’ that can be found on the DCLG website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/counciltax/rates/
	Thanks to the Government's council tax freeze, over the last two years, council tax bills have fallen by 4.4% across England in real terms. This is a real help for families and pensioners with the cost of living.
	No estimate has been made for the expected level of council tax in 2013-14.

Council Tax: Multiple Occupation

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to work with landlord and Valuation Office Agency representatives to simplify regulations governing the council tax treatment of houses in multiple occupation containing bedsits.

Bob Neill: holding answer 25 June 2012
	The Government has no plans to make such changes.
	For the avoidance of doubt, as the Minister for Housing and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), stated in his answer of 27 February 2012, Official Report, column 36W, council tax banding methodology has not changed under this Administration, and the Valuation Office Agency's banding decisions are based on the facts in each case and clear principles laid down in statute and case law.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has been asked to contribute any underspends to meet the costs of deferring the rise in fuel duty.

Bob Neill: All Whitehall Departments may routinely accumulate underspends for a number of business reasons; this money may be subsequently redeployed towards other Government priorities. My Department has previously been a beneficiary of this cross-Whitehall process—for example, as illustrated by the extra funding for the Growing Places Fund announced in March 2012.
	Consideration of these matters is decided later on in the financial year.

Housing: Construction

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been built in each of the millennium villages to date.

Grant Shapps: The Millennium Communities programme was an initiative of the last Administration, launched by the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions and the then Deputy Prime Minister. The anticipated output was 6,000 completions by 2010 (as cited on 20 March 2007, Official Report, column 820W).
	The central programme failed to deliver these targets by 2010. The following table shows what has been delivered to date:
	
		
			 Project Completions as of June 2012 
			 Allerton Bywater 349 
			 Hastings 51 
			 New Islington 200 
			 South Lynn 109 
			 East Ketley (Telford) 147 
			 Oakgrove 121 
			 Greenwich 1,095 
			 Total 2,072 
		
	
	While new homes are continuing to be developed on these sites, the central programme has been discontinued. Responsibility for the Greenwich Millennium Village now lies with the Greater London Authority.

Housing: Sales

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to take steps to mitigate the adverse effects of the practice of gazumping in the housing market.

Grant Shapps: Homebuyers and sellers in England and Wales are free to choose from a range of options, including some which give more certainty that their transaction will be completed. These include ‘lock-out’ agreements, where the seller enters a binding agreement not to accept another offer within a certain period; ‘option to purchase’ where the seller grants the buyer a binding option to purchase the property at the agreed price within a set timescale; ‘conditional contracts’, where buyer and seller enter into a contract as soon as terms have been agreed, subject to certain conditions being satisfied; or ‘costs guarantee’, where both buyer and seller agree to pay the other side's costs, if they withdraw from the transaction.
	Given the flexibility of the present system, we have no plans for reform in this area at the present time.
	Home Information Packs, introduced under the last Administration, were originally supposed to help tackle gazumping (as stated on 7 June 2004, Official Report, House of Lords, column 85). In practice, they did no such thing as they were not trusted by buyers, and merely deterred sellers from putting their homes on the market. This is why the coalition Government has abolished the requirement to have a Home Information Pack, saving homebuyers and sellers from the unnecessary regulatory cost.

Parliamentary Private Secretaries: Visits Abroad

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will list the occasions since May 2010 on which his parliamentary private secretary has travelled overseas with him or on his behalf.

Bob Neill: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government’s parliamentary private secretary has not travelled overseas with my right hon. Friend on any occasions since May 2010, nor has he travelled overseas on the Secretary of State's behalf.

Public Expenditure

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  with reference to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 23 April 2012 at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, what progress his Department has made on identifying a proportion of its resource budget that can be reprioritised; what steps he has taken to identify such funds; and which parts of his Department's resource budget he has identified as suitable for reprioritisation;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his Department's agencies and the non-departmental bodies for which he is responsible on the contribution they will make to identifying resource budget for possible reprioritisation;
	(3)  when he will make public the areas of his Department's resource budget he has identified for possible reprioritisation; and when he plans to report to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee on the outcome of this exercise.

Bob Neill: My Department is working with the Treasury to agree contingency plans as set out in ‘Improving Spending Control’:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/improving_spending_control.pdf
	Plans and options for reprioritisation will not be published. They should be “live” plans that are reassessed and updated on an ongoing basis.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

EU Agricultural Subsidies

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her French counterpart on EU agricultural subsidies.

James Paice: The new French Government was named after President Hollande's election on 14 May. Stephan Le Foll was subsequently nominated as Agriculture Minister and has recently secured a seat through the parliamentary elections in June.
	We are very keen to work closely with Minister Le Foll and understand his priorities for CAP reform, and have organised an introductory meeting in Paris this Friday.

High-speed Broadband

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure rural areas have access to reliable and high-speed broadband.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Broadband Delivery UK to meet our target to have the best superfast broadband in Europe by 2015. The Government's £530 million rural broadband investment will provide 90% of premises with superfast broadband, and everyone else with standard broadband of at least two megabits per second.
	The Government's £20 million Rural Community Broadband Fund provides grant support to enable communities to access superfast broadband in the final 10% of hard to reach locations.

Agricultural Vehicles

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 34W, on agricultural vehicles, where such data are likely to be held; and if her Department will begin to collect these data.

James Paice: DEFRA does not hold this information and has no plans to capture it.

Biodiversity

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what priorities she has set for the eleventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Richard Benyon: Our overarching aim for the eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to be held in Hyderabad, India, October 2012, is to help secure the progress needed to implement the agreements forged at Nagoya in 2010, in particular on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-20, and its effective resourcing. This will require action by all countries and the mobilisation of a wide range of funding, both public and private.
	We are working closely with our EU partners and other countries to provide the leadership this will require, and have established a High Level Panel with the support of India and the CBD secretariat to assess the likely levels of investment required at a global level to meet the targets established in Nagoya.
	England was also one of the first countries to revise a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, with the publication of Biodiversity 2020 in August 2011. The UK has also taken an active role in encouraging other countries to revise their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans by hosting, with Brazil, a global workshop on National Experiences in Implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-20. This took place in Brasilia in March 2012, was largely financed by the UK, and was attended by 57 (mainly developing) countries.

Carbon Emissions: Business

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable she has set for the introduction of mandatory carbon reporting for businesses under section 85 of the Climate Change Act 2008.

Richard Benyon: As the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), announced in her written ministerial statement of 20 June 2012, Official Report, columns 59-60WS, the Government will introduce regulations requiring reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by quoted companies in April 2013. A consultation on the regulations, and the date they should come into effect, will be issued shortly.
	We will review the regulations for quoted companies in 2015 before deciding whether to extend the approach to all large companies from 2016.

Dogs: Sales

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has any plans to consult on the introduction of regulations to govern advertising the sale of dogs.

James Paice: There are no plans to consult on regulations regarding advertising of the sale of dogs. However, DEFRA supports the work being done by the Pet Advertising Advisory Group to work with the advertising industry and internet service providers to raise standards for advertising the sale of companion animals, including dogs, both in the press and on the internet.

Environment Protection

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support her Department is providing for Payments for Ecosystem Services pilot projects.

Richard Benyon: Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are payments to land managers to act to improve ecosystem services where the beneficiaries of these additional services compensate the providers. The Government's role, as set out in the Natural Environment White Paper in June 2011, is to facilitate and encourage further activity by awareness raising, building capacity and removing barriers where appropriate to the use of payments for ecosystem services. In particular, DEFRA is:
	Publishing best practice guidance in autumn 2012 for potential practitioners about how to do PES, which will include a large number of case studies showing what has worked for a range of ecosystem services.
	Currently funding research pilots to demonstrate proof of concept for potential PES schemes which are still at the evidence-building stage. One with the RSPB builds on a Wessex Water pilot to see if PES can address increased nutrient pollution from development.
	Publishing an action plan for taking PES forward by the end of 2012.

Floods: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of flood prevention measures and barriers in the West Midlands.

Richard Benyon: In the West Midlands conurbation (ie Birmingham and the Black Country) the Environment Agency manages flood defences protecting approximately 2,500 properties from flooding to a minimum standard of protection of one in 100-year event from main river. At the end of March 2012, 98% of these flood defences were in good condition.

Pay

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to introduce regional pay since 20 March 2012; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the debate on regional pay that took place in this House on 20 June 2012, Official Report, columns 937-86).

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research grants funded from the public purse the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds received, by research project, in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: This response reflects research that has been contracted with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) by DEFRA and Network bodies.
	The following table (Table 1) lists research projects contracted to the RSPB by Core DEFRA.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 £ 
			 Title 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Wetting up farmland for birds and other biodiversity 20,614 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wetting up Farmland for Biodiversity (Phase 2) 0 15,630 52,991 0 0 0 
			 Management of wet grassland habitat to reduce the impact of predation on breeding waders: Phase 2 25,843 71,726 57,281 0 0 0 
			 Cereal-based whole crop silages: a potential conservation mechanism for farmland birds in pastoral landscapes 6,614 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Modified management of agricultural grassland to promote in-field structural heterogeneity, invertebrates and bird populations in pastoral landscapes 121,153 103,974 32,512 0 0 0 
			 Grass silage as a new source of winter food for declining farmland birds 38,630 40,179 9,518 0 0 0 
			 Effects of Environmental Stewardship on the distributions and populations of cirl buntings and other farmland birds in South Devon 0 0 27,736 5,191 0 0 
			 Extension to BD1454: Modified management of agricultural grassland to promote in-field structural heterogeneity, invertebrates and bird foraging 0 0 0 80,308 0 0 
			 Utility of lenient grazing of agricultural grassland to promote in-field structural heterogeneity, invertebrates and bird foraging (extension of BD5206) 0 0 0 0 74,449 73,051 
			 National and Regional Wild Bird Indicators 52,702 58,239 40,949 19,543 0 0 
			 Means of 18,442 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Modified management of agricultural grassland to promote in-field structural heterogeneity, invertebrates and bird populations in pastoral landscapes 121,153 103,974 32,512 0 0 0 
			 Grass silage as a new source of winter food for declining farmland birds 38,630 40,179 9,518 0 0 0 
			 Effects of Environmental Stewardship on the distributions and populations of cirl buntings and other farmland birds in South Devon 0 0 27,736 5,191 0 0 
			 Extension to BD1454: Modified management of agricultural grassland to promote in-field structural heterogeneity, invertebrates and bird foraging 0 0 0 80,308 0 0 
			 Utility of lenient grazing of agricultural grassland to promote in-field structural heterogeneity, invertebrates and bird foraging (extension of BD5206) 0 0 0 0 74,449 73,051 
			 National and Regional Wild Bird Indicators 52,702 58,239 40,949 19,543 0 0 
			 Means of 18,442 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	Research Spend with the RSPB via the Joint Nature Conservation Committee is given in Table 3 as follows.
	
		
			 Table 3 
			 £ 
			 Activities 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Contribution to project on eradication of Rattus exulans from Henderson Island 0 0 25,000 0 0 
			 Contribution to Marine Species Identification project in Tristan da Cunha 0 0 0 3,000 0

TREASURY

Bank for International Settlements

Steven Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy on monetary activism announced in Budget 2012 of the findings on the limits of monetary policy in the 82nd Annual Report 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 of the Bank for International Settlements; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government notes the Annual Report of the Bank for International Settlements.
	As set out in Budget 2012, monetary policy has a critical role in supporting the economy as the Government delivers on its commitment to necessary fiscal consolidation. The independent Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England has operational responsibility for monetary policy and it is for the MPC to decide how to use its policy tools to meet the inflation target in the medium term. The credibility of the Government's fiscal plan allows the independent MPC to keep bank rate lower than it would otherwise have been and to deliver additional monetary stimulus through quantitative easing (QE).
	The Bank of England's analysis, in several publications since 2009, including the Quarterly Bulletin published in September 2011, provides evidence on the effectiveness of QE in supporting demand. In addition, the IMF supports further monetary easing including QE, noting that it can continue to support demand by lowering long-term interest rates and improving banks' liquidity.
	In addition to monetary policy and as part of monetary activism as set out in Budget 2012, the Government launched the £20 billion National Loan Guarantee Scheme (NLGS) on 20 March to lower the cost of bank loans for smaller businesses and expanded the Business Finance Partnership to £1.2 billion at Budget 2012 to encourage the development of non-bank lending channels for SMEs and mid-sized businesses.
	The new Funding for Lending scheme, announced by the Chancellor and the Governor at Mansion House on 14 June, complements the NLGS, and will support credit for the whole economy by making it easier for banks to lend to businesses and families.
	Monetary activism is part of a comprehensive strategy that the Government has set out to deal with the challenges we face—fiscal policy, monetary policy, financial regulation, tax reform and structural reform all play their role in delivering our objective of lasting recovery and sustainable public finances. This strategy has reduced the deficit and helped to deliver near-record low interest rates.

Bank Services

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland on the technical difficulties at Ulster Bank; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland on the technical difficulties the bank has experienced; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland on the effect of the technical difficulties on (a) NatWest and (b) Ulster Bank; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with NatWest, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank on provision of customer compensation for (a) bank fines and (b) third-party fines incurred as a result of the recent bank systems errors;
	(2)  what discussions he has held with (a) the Financial Services Authority, (b) the Royal Bank of Scotland, (c) NatWest, (d) Ulster Bank and (e) the Northern Ireland Minister for Finance and Personnel on the bank systems errors affecting customer accounts.

Mark Hoban: I have spoken to Stephen Hester, the chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) about the technical difficulties affecting both NatWest and Ulster Bank, to ensure that RBS are doing everything they can to resolve these issues as quickly as possible and that customers will be properly treated and compensated as appropriate.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on (a) gas and (b) electricity bills in each of the last 10 years.

Chloe Smith: The breakdown of spending for 1 Horse Guards road on electricity and gas by financial year, between April 2002 and March 2012, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Electricity spend (£) Gas spend (£) 
			 2002-03 9,935 1,672 
			 2003-04 167,979 1,225 
			 2004-05 375,881 1,097 
			 2005-06 427,356 1,943 
			 2006-07 482,967 3,475 
			 2007-08 576,245 3,335 
			 2008-09 786,320 4,957 
			 2009-10 619,085 4,996 
			 2010-11 538,414 2,681 
			 2011-12 569,783 3,061

Gift Aid

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the collection of gift aid on charitable donations made (a) as text donations via mobile telephone and (b) using other new technology is easier.

Chloe Smith: The Government is keen to make gift aid as easy and as accessible as possible for both donors and charities. gift aid is already available on text donations and on other forms of digital giving, subject to the right infrastructure being in place.
	HM Revenue and Customs has been discussing with charity representatives how the sector might set up a gift aid database for participating donors and charities to use to eliminate the need for donors to make a gift aid declaration to each charity they support.

Gift Aid

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the value of gift aid to charities in Scotland in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010, (e) 2011 and (f) 2012.

Chloe Smith: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) records do not separately identify Gift Aid claims by separate countries of the UK.
	Amounts of tax repaid to charities in the UK on donations under Gift Aid are published in Table 10.3 on the HMRC website at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm
	In 2011-12 a total of £1,057 million (provisional figure) was repaid to UK charities under Gift Aid.

Inheritance Tax

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised through inheritance tax in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will estimate the amount of revenue lost through non-domicile residents in the UK.

David Gauke: A provisional estimate of the revenue raised from inheritance tax in 2011-12 is published in the HM Revenue and Customs receipts National Statistics table, published on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/tax-receipts-and-taxpayers.pdf
	An estimate of the amount of revenue lost through non-domicile residents in the UK is not available.

LIBOR

Frank Dobson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that none of the members of his proposed Joint Committee have worked for or advised any of the banks being investigated in the LIBOR fixing scandal.

Mark Hoban: The composition of this joint committee would be a matter for the Houses of Parliament, not the Government.
	All Members of both Houses are required to publish their interests in the respective Registers of Interests for both Houses.

New Businesses: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new businesses registered for VAT in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each of the last three years.

David Gauke: No estimate is available for the number of new businesses registered for VAT in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each of the last three years.
	Previously, the number of new VAT registrations was published by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform but this was discontinued in 2008. It has been replaced by the Office of National Statistics series ‘UK Business: Activity, Size and Location’, which combines VAT and PAYE registered businesses.
	The total number of businesses registered for either VAT or PAYE in the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Total number of businesses registered for either VAT or PAYE (at 30 March in each year) 
			 2008 2,725 
			 2009 2,665 
			 2010 2,095 
			 2011 2,585 
		
	
	Changes between the years reflect the net number of new VAT or PAYE registrations and de-registrations.

Unpaid Taxes

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was collected by HM Revenue and Customs as a result of investigations into unpaid corporate and personal taxation in each year since 2008.

David Gauke: holding answer 3 July 2012
	HMRC publishes performance data showing the additional revenues it raises from compliance activity within its annual report and accounts. The following table shows the additional revenues raised by the Department in each year from 2008-09. It is not possible to distinguish between revenues raised from investigative activity and revenues arising from other forms of compliance intervention.
	
		
			 HMRC Additional revenues (£ billion) 
			 2008-09 12.0 
			 2009-10 12.6 
			 2010-11 13.9 
			 2011-12 16.7

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Electricity: Meters

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in his Department were working on smart meter roll-out in April (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.

Charles Hendry: There were a total of 27 officials working on smart meter roll-out in April 2011 and 76 officials in April 2012.

Lost Working Days

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average number of working days lost per person was in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies in each of the last three years.

Gregory Barker: The Average Working Days Lost (AWDL) per person due to sickness absence in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Period AWDL 
			 July 2009 to June 2010 4.3 
			 July 2010 to June 2011 3.1 
			 July 2011 to June 2012 3.6 
		
	
	DECC does not have any agencies for which it is responsible.

Members: Correspondence

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the Minister of State plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Weaver Vale of 23 May 2012 on behalf of Mr Mark Radcliffe.

Gregory Barker: I have now replied to my hon. Friend and apologised for the delay in doing so.

Members: Correspondence

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the Minister of State plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Weaver Vale of 15 May 2012 on behalf of Mr Francis White.

Gregory Barker: I have now replied to my hon. Friend and apologised for the delay in doing so.
	There was no record of receiving this correspondence and we obtained a copy of the original on 4 July 2012 from my hon. Friend’s constituency office.

Mental Health

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to promote good mental health and well-being in his Department.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) takes its responsibilities to the welfare of its employees seriously. The good management of health, safety and well-being is a key part of this commitment and information and support on well-being and mental health issues is promoted throughout the Department in a number of different ways.
	Comprehensive health, safety and well-being policies and information is provided to all staff on the DECC Intranet. This is supplemented by E-learning training courses on Stress Awareness and on use of Display Screens. A range of talks and events to highlight specific issues are also regularly held within the Department and are open to all staff. Recent examples include sessions on Disability awareness, Personal Safety, and Epilepsy.

Natural Gas: Exploration

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration his Department has given to the findings of the joint Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering report on shale gas extraction in the UK: a review of hydraulic fracturing; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: We welcome the initiative of the two academies in conducting this study. This review of the evidence is a very valuable addition to public information, since it has been conducted by authoritative bodies independent of the industry and of the regulators.
	DECC is considering the report's analysis and findings and will certainly be taking the academies' conclusions into account, both when considering current issues in relation to hydraulic fracturing and with a view to any longer term strategic approach should shale gas eventually move from the exploration to development phase.

Nuclear Power

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans his Department has to receive (a) legal and (b) accounting advice from external organisations in relation to the strike price for nuclear power; and what estimate he has made of the cost of this advice to the public purse.

Charles Hendry: The Department plans to make use of external legal and accountancy advice to inform its discussions with developers on enabling early investment decisions ahead of electricity market reform, and any subsequent decision on strike prices.
	In order to ensure best value for money is achieved, estimates of the costs of procuring external advice cannot be disclosed in advance, but the actual costs incurred will be published in due course in line with the Government's policy on publishing spending data.

Parliamentary Private Secretaries: Visits Abroad

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on which occasions his parliamentary private secretary has travelled overseas with him or on his behalf since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: There have been no such occasions.

Public Expenditure

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 23 April 2012 at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, 
	(1)  what progress his Department has made on identifying a proportion of its resource budget which can be reprioritised; what steps he has taken to identify such funds; and which parts of his Department's resource budget he has identified as suitable for reprioritisation;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his Department's agencies and the non-departmental bodies for which he is responsible on the contribution they will make to identifying resource budget for possible reprioritisation;
	(3)  when he will make public the areas of his Department's resource budget he has identified for possible reprioritisation; and when he plans to report to the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee on the outcome of this exercise.

Gregory Barker: The Department is working with HM Treasury to agree contingency plans as set out in ‘Improving Spending Control’:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/improving_spending_control.pdf
	Plans and options for reprioritisation will not be published. They should be "live" plans that are reassessed and updated on an ongoing basis.

Renewable Energy

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of new jobs expected to be created in renewable energy industries and the green economy by 2020; and if he will estimate the likely effect on the number of jobs in the rest of the economy as a result of any increase in energy costs resulting from electricity market reform and the decarbonisation of the UK energy sector.

Charles Hendry: DECC has not made an assessment of the number of new jobs expected to be created in renewable energy industries and the green economy by 2020.
	As a result of electricity market reform, household electricity bills are estimated to be, on average, 4% lower over the next two decades than they would otherwise have been. Average bills for businesses and energy intensive industries will also be lower than without reform.
	Implementing these reforms will require a significant increase in skilled professionals and will support the creation of jobs in the sector. Initial estimates suggest that the infrastructure investment enabled by these reforms could lead to as many as 250,000 more people being employed in the low-carbon energy sector.
	We do not expect the de-carbonisation agenda to have a significant impact on net UK employment over the long' term. All of DECC's policies are consistent with the Government's overarching priority to deliver economic growth and new jobs.

Renewable Energy

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will express targets for renewable energy production in terms of the total amount of energy produced rather than installed capacity.

Charles Hendry: The UK has a target under the Renewable Energy Directive 2009 to produce 15% of its of energy from renewable sources by 2020, calculated on a net calorific basis across the electricity, heat and transport sectors, and with a cap on fuel used for air transport.
	We estimated in the Renewable Energy Roadmap (published July 2011) that this would equate to around 234 TeraWatt hours (TWh) of eligible renewable energy generation, based on forecast energy demand in 2020.
	The following table sets out a technology breakdown in TWh for a central view of renewables deployment in 2020, based on a total target of 234 TWh across the electricity, heat and transport sectors.
	
		
			 Technology breakdown (TWh) for central view of deployment in 2020(1) 
			  TWh 
			 Onshore wind 24-32 
			 Offshore wind 33-58 
			 Biomass electricity 32-50 
			 Marine 1 
			 Biomass heat (non-domestic) 36-50 
			 Air-source and Ground-source heat pumps (non-domestic) 16-22 
			 Renewable transport Up to 48 
			 Others (including hydro, geothermal, solar and domestic heat) 14 
		
	
	
		
			 Estimated 15% target 234 
			 (1)Source: Renewable Energy Roadmap: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/renewable-energy/2167-uk-renewable-energy-roadmap.pdf

Staff: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of people employed by his Department in Scotland.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has 95 people working in its office in Aberdeen. This information is correct as of 31 May 2012.

TRANSPORT

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the report from the Office of Fair Trading on the cost of car insurance; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: I welcome the OFT report. The Government has already announced measures to reduce motor insurance premiums including legal reform, tackling uninsured driving and fraud. We continue to work with the motor insurance industry and other interested parties to tackle unjustified practices which increase premiums. The OFT report provides a valuable contribution to this work.

Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average (mean) basic pay is for full-time equivalent (a) men and (b) women in the (i) AA, (ii) AO, (iii) EO and (iv) HEO or equivalent grades in each of her Department's bargaining units outside London.

Norman Baker: The table below shows the average basic pay for full-time equivalent (a) men and (b) women in the (i) AA, (ii) AO, (iii) EO and (iv) HEO or equivalent grades in each the Department for Transport's bargaining units outside of London.
	
		
			 Grade Gender DfT© MCA DVLA Highways VOSA DSA VCA GCDA 
			 AA Male - £13,987 £15,140 £15,989 £15,950 £16,418 £16,775 - 
			  Female - £13,022 £15,156 £15,989 £15,987 £16,464 £16,775 - 
			 AO Male £20,283 £17,255 £17,786 £18,061 £19,771 £18,846 £20,135 £21,096 
			  Female £20,311 £15,783 £17,887 £18,046 £19,792 £18,902 £20,008 £21,096 
			 EO Male £24,946 £23,416 £23,297 £22,189 £24,907 £24,210 £25,390 £23,463 
			  Female £24,626 £20,997 £22,873 £22,032 £24,778 £24,205 £25,737 £23,463 
			 HEO Male £30,346 £27,469 £28,255 £26,914 £30,789 £29,769 £33,417 - 
			  Female £30,018 £23,879 £28,275 £26,837 £30,298 £29,860 £35,315 -

Rapid Transit Systems

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will publish a timetable for the Tramtrain pilot project in Sheffield; when she plans the service will be operating; what the end date of the evaluation is; and how consideration will be given, if the pilot is successful, to rolling it out on other routes.

Norman Baker: The pilot service is planned to commence in 2015 and evaluation will take place after two years. The learning experiences from the pilot will be documented and shared with other promoters considering tram train schemes in their areas.

Rescue Services

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the new national centre at Farnham in Surrey will monitor small boats used by holidaymakers in Scotland that do not have fixed radar location equipment following the implementation of planned closures of maritime rescue and co-ordination centres.

Michael Penning: The Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) located at Fareham in Hampshire will take responsibility for managing the Coastguard network as a whole ensuring that workload and resources are in balance at all times.
	Small boats and leisure vessels can request safety information or raise the alarm if they are in difficulties by means of radio equipment. The modernisation programme for HM Coastguard will not reduce in any way the radio coverage currently provided, therefore there will be no change in the availability of assistance and advice to holidaymakers and small boat users in Scotland. Co-ordination centres in Belfast, Stornoway, Lerwick and Aberdeen will be manned 24/7 by Coastguard Officers. As a result of the modernisation programme additional officers from across the network will be able to reinforce these staffing levels and or take on other important but non-urgent work when incidents occur.
	In the future the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will be putting more Coastguard Officers into coastal communities and it will be these officers who will develop local contacts and local intelligence. They will be a direct point of contact for the small craft and leisure community.

Transport

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what weighting is given to the (a) economic, (b) social, (c) health and (d) environmental benefits of new transport projects.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport uses the Transport Business Case when making decisions on transport investments. This is set out in five sections, consistent with the Treasury Green Book, to consider the strategic, economic, financial, commercial and management aspects of a project. Guidance on Transport Business Cases can be found on the DfT website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/transport-business-case/
	No weighting is given to any of the individual sections in the overall business case. The Secretary of State considers the evidence presented in the overall business case when making decisions on investments.
	The economic, social, health and environmental impacts are mainly considered in the strategic and economic sections. DfT's approach to appraising these impacts, including values where appropriate, is published in its transport appraisal guidance (WebTAG). WebTAG can be found on the DfT website at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/webtag/

HEALTH

Abortion: Counselling

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to begin his consultation on abortion counselling.

Anne Milton: The Department is continuing work on this issue, and a document will be published as soon as possible.

Blood: Diseases

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance he plans to issue to commissioners and acute trusts on the development of collaborative care pathways for patients diagnosed with sepsis;
	(2)  what consideration his Department has given to the development of a national sepsis registry;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to measure outcomes and long-term health issues for patients diagnosed with sepsis;
	(4)  what steps his Department is taking to improve awareness of sepsis and to encourage early diagnosis;
	(5)  what representations his Department has received from health professionals and stakeholder organisations on the development by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence of quality standards relating to treatment of sepsis;
	(6)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect on patient outcomes of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence quality standard on surgical site infection and sepsis.

Simon Burns: The Department supports existing international guidance on sepsis and although there is no specific guidance on sepsis this informed the Department's document “Start Smart Then Focus”. A copy has been placed in the Library. This recommends that if there is evidence of bacterial infection, local guidelines should be used to initiate prompt effective antibiotic treatment within one hour of diagnosis (or as soon as possible) in patients with life-threatening infections.
	In addition, “Start Smart Then Focus” recommends auditing the time to treatment to ensure effective local performance. Information on sepsis is not collected centrally and there are no plans to develop a registry.
	Quality Standards support better outcomes for patients by promoting improvement in the quality of national health service care. Quality Standards are derived from the best available evidence, such as National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance and other evidence sources accredited by NHS Evidence. A Quality Standard for Surgical Site Infection and Sepsis was referred to NICE in March 2012 and is in development.
	The Department has received correspondence from the UK Sepsis Group on the development of an NHS Quality Standard relating to the treatment of sepsis. In 2011, NICE jointly with the National Quality Board ran an engagement exercise on the proposed library of NHS Quality Standards. Six organisations provided responses to the public consultation which referred to the treatment of sepsis.
	The NHS Commissioning Board will be expected to use these standards to underpin the Commissioning Outcomes Framework which will be used to help raise awareness of this issue, improve patient safety and as the basis for producing guidance for commissioners.

Dementia: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to raise awareness of the early signs of dementia in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency and (b) Merseyside.

Paul Burstow: Raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of dementia and improving early diagnosis are key parts of the Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia. The Department is beginning a behaviour change campaign in 2012-13 to encourage early consultations with general practitioners. This follows a dementia awareness campaign in 2010, which improved public awareness, recognition of symptoms and attitudes to dementia.

Dietary Supplements

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by whom he was represented at the 30 April 2012 meeting of the European Commission's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health; what views were expressed by his representatives at that meeting on proposals from other EU member states that work be brought forward to set maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of article 5 of the food supplements directive; what his policy objectives are in that area; what steps he plans to take to ensure that UK consumers do not lose access to safe and popular higher potency food supplements; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The discussion at the 30 April 2012 meeting of the European Commission Standing Committee on the Food Chain, and Animal Health was regarding an amendment of Regulation (EC) 1925/2006 on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods, where some other delegations expressed their disappointment at the lack of harmonised maximum amounts of vitamins and minerals in food, urging the Commission to undertake this work.
	There was no discussion of the setting maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements, under the provisions of article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive 2002/46/EC.
	The Commission gave no indication of when negotiations will commence on the setting of maximum amounts of vitamins and minerals in food, or food supplements. Any future discussions need to ensure that the legislation is proportionate and based on evidence, so that consumers have confidence in what they buy, while maintaining a wide choice of safe products.

Health Services

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has held with the NHS Commissioning Board on (a) the progress of their review of specialised services and (b) the deadline by which they are expected to announce which services are to be included as specialist services; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The NHS Commissioning Board Authority is not undertaking a review of specialised services. A Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) was set up in 2011 to undertake an analysis of the services within the specialised services national definitions set against the four factors on the face of the Health and Social Care Act to identify which services would be more appropriate for direct commissioning by the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) from April 2013.
	Following CAG's initial recommendations in December 2011, 60 Clinical Reference Groups were set up to undertake more detailed work to enable the service to be separately and directly commissioned by the NHS CB from 1 April 2013.
	CAG has recently made its recommendations to Ministers and it is expected that the list of services will be announced in the summer.

Health Services

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies will have responsibility for commissioning (a) acute services and (b) mental health and learning disability services following the reorganisation of primary care trusts.

Simon Burns: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will assume responsibility from 1 April 2013 for commissioning national health service healthcare services, with the exception of certain services (such as primary care and specialised services), which will be commissioned by the NHS Commissioning Board. The healthcare services CCGs will commission will include acute services, and mental health and learning disability services.

Health: Finance

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what basic principles underlie the formula used in his consultation on the (a) interim recommendations for the preferred distribution of public health resources from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, (b) health premium and (c) proposed conditions on the ring-fenced public health grant.

Anne Milton: The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), to develop a formula for the allocation of the public health budget to local authorities relative to population health need, based on the principle of enabling action to improve population-wide health, and to reduce health inequalities.
	A limited number of conditions on the ring-fenced public health grant have been proposed to ensure the appropriate balance between giving local authorities the freedom to spend the grant as they see fit and the need to ensure transparency and accountability in its use.
	At the end of the financial year local authorities will be required to confirm that the grant has been spent in accordance with the grant conditions, including reporting any underspends.
	The health premium is public health funding that supports non-mandated services. This includes both the core, needs-based allocation, and an incentive component. Local authorities will be rewarded if they make progress in improving the health of the local population, based on elements of the Public Health Outcomes Framework. The incentive will be weighted to areas facing the greatest challenges.

Health: Rural Areas

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under which Minister's responsibility rural health falls.

Anne Milton: Responsibility for rural health is shared by departmental Ministers across the range of their responsibilities for the national health service, public health and social care. I represent the Department in bi-laterals with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers on rural health as part of my work on wider cross-government health issues.

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the role of homecare in improving patient compliance and adherence to NHS-funded treatment.

Paul Burstow: The Department has made no such assessment.
	Homecare has two main meanings.
	It can mean a social care service, which covers, the provision of personal care—assistance with tasks such as bathing, dressing and the preparation and eating of meals—to people in their own homes. It is not a medical or health service. Carers may help service users to take prescribed medication, in accordance with prescribers’ instructions. However, they cannot require service users to comply, with or adhere to treatment regimes.
	It can also mean a medicine homecare delivery service, which delivers ongoing medicine supplies and, where necessary, associated care initiated by a hospital prescribes direct to a patient's home with their consent. The purpose of the service, is to improve patient care and choice for clinical treatments. Typically, patients who receive this type of homecare are those with chronic conditions and stable treatment regimens that do not require acute care input.

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has made of the potential role of homecare in the approval and introduction of new drugs.

Paul Burstow: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has made no such assessment and there are no plans to ask NICE to do so.
	When appraising a drug NICE takes account of any relevant costs or benefits associated with the delivery of the drug in different health care settings.

Palliative Care

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the variation in palliative care spending among primary care trusts.

Paul Burstow: Decisions on how much money is allocated for palliative care at a local level must rest with local commissioners, who, working with patients and the public, are best placed to understand local need and to decide on the funding required by each particular service, including palliative care.
	We recognise that national health service funding for palliative care services varies greatly across the country and have committed to introducing a per-patient funding system that will ensure all qualified providers of palliative care, whether they be statutory, voluntary or independent, are fairly funded. Building on the work of the independent palliative care funding review, we are currently working through a number of palliative care funding pilots to collect the data and information needed to help us develop this new system, which we aim to have in place by 2015.

Paramedics

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paramedics were employed by ambulance trusts in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012 to date.

Simon Burns: The following table contains the number of paramedics employed by ambulance trusts in the years requested.
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: Ambulance paramedics in England and in Ambulance Trusts as at 30 September each specified year(1) 
			     headcount 
			   2010 2011 2012(1) 
			 England  10,678 11,368 12,659 
			 Of which:     
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust RX9 1,100 1,129 1,145 
			 East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust RYC 1,016 1,036 1,066 
			 Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust RX5 434 551 601 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust RRU 1,812 1,947 1,946 
		
	
	
		
			 North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust RX6 551 574 612 
			 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust RX7 1,367 1,454 1,600 
			 South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust RYE 569 632 657 
			 South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust RYD 670 734 738 
			 South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust RYF 835 829 842 
			 West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust RYA 1,215 1,295 1,335 
			 Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust RX8 1,048 1,136 1,168 
			 (1) 2012 data is monthly data as at 31 March. Notes: 1. Headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components. 2. The new headcount methodology from 2010 onwards is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Further information on the headcount methodology is available in the census publication. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census

Primary Care Trusts

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the change in the number of full-time equivalent posts as a result of the completion of the transition from primary care trusts to clinical commissioning groups; and what he expects the likely annual savings to the NHS budget of the transition to be.

Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Act set out a range of reforms that will affect primary care trust (PCT) staff—the transition from PCTs to clinical commissioning is just one component of this. The impact assessment estimated the reforms would reduce the number of full-time equivalent posts for PCT staff by 11,400.
	The reforms from the Health and Social Care Act are estimated to save £1.5 billion per year by 2014-15, and £4.5 billion over the course of the Parliament.
	The impact assessment has already been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_123583

Primary Care Trusts: Redundancy

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees left primary care trusts in the North East (a) between 1 June 2010 and 31 March 2011 and (b) in financial year 2011-12; and how many such staff were subsequently rehired elsewhere in the NHS.

Simon Burns: The total number of leavers from primary care trusts (PCTs) in the north-east is not available for the periods requested. The data are extracted from the turnover tables at organisational level that are published on a quarterly basis by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. During the period from April 2010 to April 2011,1,265 staff left PCTs in the north-east.
	The Health and Social Care Information Centre will publish data for the period April 2011 to April 2012 on 24 July 2012.
	Information on the number of PCT staff in the north-east who left the national health service and subsequently re-employed elsewhere by NHS organisations is difficult to obtain from the Electronic Staff Record and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Public Expenditure

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 23 April 2012 at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, 
	(1)  what progress his Department has made on identifying a proportion of its resource budget that can be reprioritised; what steps he has taken to identify such funds; and which parts of his Department's resource budget he has identified as suitable for reprioritisation;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his Department's agencies and the non-departmental bodies for which he is responsible on the contribution they will make to identifying resource budget for possible reprioritisation;
	(3)  when he will make public the areas of his Department's resource budget he has identified for possible reprioritisation; and when he plans to report to the Health Select Committee on the outcome of this exercise.

Simon Burns: The Department is working with HM Treasury to agree contingency plans as set out in “Improving Spending Control”:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/improving_spending_control.pdf
	Plans and options for reprioritisation will not be published. They should be “live” plans that are reassessed and updated on an ongoing basis.

School Milk

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to increase the uptake of free nursery milk and subsidised school milk.

Anne Milton: The Nursery Milk Scheme is the only milk scheme run by the Department. It has been running since the 1940s and we believe that awareness of the scheme is high, with over 50,000 child care providers currently registered with the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit. The Department is currently consulting on a range of options for modernising the operation of the scheme to improve its value for money while ensuring that all under fives attending child care settings for two or more hours a day continue to receive free milk. The consultation will raise the profile of the scheme and offer an opportunity for child care providers to give their thoughts on improving the operation of the scheme.
	In addition, the Department provides guidance on its website explaining the way in which the scheme is currently administered. Information about the scheme is also available on the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit's website at:
	www.nurserymilk.co.uk

School Milk

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many settings claiming for the cost of milk through the nursery milk scheme claimed more than (a) 60, (b) 70, (c) 80 and (d) 90 pence per pint in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The following table provides figures for the number of child care settings claiming for the free nursery milk at a cost ranging from 60 pence to 90 pence per pint in the month of June 2012:
	
		
			 Cost claimed by the child care settings in providing free nursery milk in the month of June 2012 
			  Number of child care settings 
			 More than 60 pence per pint 2,980 
			 More than 70 pence per pint 23,098 
			 More than 80 pence per pint 1,140 
			 More than 90 pence per pint 8,962 
		
	
	The Department is currently consulting on a range of options for modernising the operation of the Nursery Milk Scheme to improve its value for money while ensuring that all under fives attending child care settings for two or more hours a day continue to receive free milk.

Transplant Surgery

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to replace the post of National Clinical Director for Transplantation; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Chris Rudge, the former National Clinical Director for Transplantation, has been appointed to chair a Transitional Steering Group (TSG) to help maintain the momentum to achieve the target of a 50%, increase in organ donation rates by 2013. We are taking action in a number of areas to strengthen the donation and transplant programme, with donor rates now around 35%, higher than 2007-08 and continuing to rise.
	NHS Blood and Transplant are also developing a strategy post March 2013, building on the Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations, which will establish them as the national organisation for organ donation and transplantation. The new strategy will build on what has been achieved so far and identify new ways to make sure that as many people as possible in the UK receive the transplant they need, with added emphasis on the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average length of an apprenticeship.

John Hayes: In 2010/11, the latest year for which final data are available, the adjusted average length of an apprenticeship was 13 months.
	Care should be taken when interpreting the average length of apprenticeships as it is dependent on the mix of apprenticeship levels and frameworks, and the prior attainment of learners (some will already have completed parts of the apprenticeship). The adjusted measure is intended to exclude those apprentices with some prior attainment. Additionally, the average length of an apprenticeship programme does not necessarily reflect the guided learning hours or the actual length of time in learning. For these reasons the average length should be seen as contributory information to any broader assessment of the apprenticeship experience and quality.
	From August 2012 Ministers have decided that an apprenticeship must last at least 12 months for under 19s, and for adults unless prior learning is recorded and funding reduced accordingly, in order to ensure that every apprenticeship involves sufficient new learning and opportunity to embed new skills.
	Information on apprenticeship starts and achievements are published in a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 28 June 2012:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	Information on apprenticeship achievements by duration is published within the 'Other Statistics' section of the SFR website:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_other_statistics

Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many apprenticeship starts there were by people aged 16 to 18 in (a) the North East, (b) the North West, (c) Yorkshire and the Humber, (d) the East Midlands, (e) the West Midlands, (f) the East of England, (g) London, (h) the South East and (i) the South West in the first three quarters of 2011-2;
	(2)  how many apprenticeship starts there were by people aged 19 to 24 in (a) the North East, (b) the North West, (c) Yorkshire and the Humber, (d) the East Midlands, (e) the West Midlands, (f) the East of England, (g) London, (h) the South East and (i) the South West in the first three quarters of 2011-2;
	(3)  how many apprenticeship starts there were by people aged 25 and over in (a) the North East, (b) the North West, (c) Yorkshire and the Humber, (d) the East Midlands, (e) the West Midlands, (f) the East of England, (g) London, (h) the South East and (i) the South West in the first three quarters of 2011-12.

John Hayes: Table 1 shows the provisional number of Apprenticeship programme starts by learners aged under 19, 19 to 24 and 25 and above and region for the first nine months of 2011/12.
	Provisional data for the first nine months of the 2011/12 academic year (August 2011 to April 2012) provide an early view of performance and will change as further data returns are received from further education colleges and providers. Figures for 2011/12 will be updated in the October 2012 Statistical First Release.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by age and region, 2011/12 (provisional) 
			 Region 16-18 19-24 25+ Total 
			 North East 7,510 7,490 12,800 27,790 
			 North West 17,360 19,380 28,510 65,240 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 14,460 14,200 18,490 47,150 
			 East Midlands 9,480 10,540 14,090 34,110 
			 West Midlands 12,480 13,740 18,330 44,550 
			 East of England 9,790 10,680 13,200 33,680 
			 London 8,560 10,170 15,660 34,390 
			 South East 13,250 17,070 19,890 50,200 
			 South West 10,590 14,410 16,570 41,570 
			 Other 1,070 1,350 2,080 4,510 
			 Total 104,500 119,000 159,600 383,200 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 except for totals which are rounded to the nearest 100. Figures may not sum due to rounding. 2. Age is calculated based on age at start of the programme. 3. Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Geographic information is based on boundaries of regions as of May 2010. 4. Provisional data for 2011/12 should not be compared with data for earlier academic years. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of Apprenticeship starts by age is published in a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR and supplementary tables were published on 28th June 2012:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	Further breakdowns including age and geography are available as a supplementary table:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Apprenticeship_sfr_supplementary_tables/
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current/

Apprentices: South East

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of apprentices in the south-east are (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 years old.

John Hayes: holding answer 3 July 2012
	The following table shows the number and percentage of apprenticeship programme starts in the south-east region by learners aged 16, 17 and 18 in 2010/11; the latest year for which final data are available.
	
		
			 Apprenticeship programme starts by age in the south-east region, 2010-11 
			 South-east region Apprenticeship starts Percentage of all age apprenticeship starts 
			 16 3,410 6 
			 17 5,300 9 
			 18 7,010 12 
			 19+ 42,620 73 
			 All age apprenticeships 58,340 100 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Figures may not sum due to rounding. 2. Percentages are calculated based on unrounded figures and are presented to the nearest percentage point. 3. Age is calculated based on age at start of the programme. 4. Figures presented for 16-year-olds include a small number of under 16-year-olds. 5. Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Geographic information is based on boundaries of regions as of May 2010. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by age is published in a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR and supplementary tables were published on 28 June 2012:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Apprenticeship_sfr_supplementary_tables/

Apprentices: Training

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether it is a requirement that apprenticeship trainers hold relevant teaching and professional qualifications and have passed Criminal Records Bureau checks before they are allowed to train apprentices; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: The Further Education Teachers Qualifications Regulations 2007 require those who teach in further education (FE) colleges to hold appropriate teaching qualifications. This applies to all teaching employees of colleges, not just those who may be training apprentices. The regulations do not apply to non-college trainers in FE.
	The Skills Funding Agency contractually requires its providers to ensure that competent and appropriately qualified staff deliver and assess learning. The provider is responsible for the professional development and training of its staff for meeting any minimum requirements which may be required by Ofsted or other regulatory authority.
	There is no statutory requirement upon those training apprentices aged 16 to 17 to obtain a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure.

Conditions of Employment

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the timetable is for kitemarking good employers, including public sector suppliers, who invest in skills and apprenticeships in their workforce.

John Hayes: The proposal is to use Investors in People as a badge of quality that would indicate whether the employer had good skills and training systems in place and advertise this through a searchable website run by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
	This work is in development and on current plans looks likely to be delivered in November this year. We also have the Apprenticeships Roll of Honour which is in operation through the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) website and showcases businesses committed to apprenticeships as they recognise the business benefits they gain from employing apprentices.

Conditions of Employment

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2012, Official Report, column 238W, on conditions of employment, on what date each of Mr Beecroft's meetings with Government officials took place; and from which Department the officials were from on each such occasion.

Norman Lamb: holding answer 3 July 2012
	The information requested is as follows:
	14 July 2011: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	20 July 2011: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	1 August 2011: Home Office; Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; Department for Work and Pensions
	3 August 2011: Home Office; Health and Safety Executive
	4 August 2011: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	5 August 2011: Department for Work and Pensions
	8 August 2011: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; HM Courts and Tribunals Service
	9 August 2011: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; Department for Education
	17 August 2011: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; Home Office; Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
	31 August 2011: HM Treasury
	5 September 2011: HM Revenue and Customs; Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	6 September 2011: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	8 September 2011: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	10 October 2011: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Executives: Pay

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what powers shareholders will have in cases where payments have been made to directors outside of a company's existing remuneration policy following implementation of his proposals on executive pay.

Norman Lamb: The result of the vote on policy will have a lasting and legally binding impact. For the first time, a company will only be able to make payments within the limits that have been approved by a majority of shareholders. If a payment contravenes approved policy then there will be sanctions in line with existing provisions elsewhere in the Companies Act: the payment will have to be repaid and the directors responsible for agreeing it will be liable for any costs.
	Shareholders will have, as now, an annual advisory vote on how the approved policy is being implemented, including actual sums paid in the previous year. If a company fails the advisory vote they will need to put the pay policy back to shareholders the following year for re-approval in a binding vote.
	Shareholders can choose not to re-elect directors that ignore policy,

Higher Education: Innovation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage UK businesses to exploit innovation and creativity through universities.

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills supports a range of programmes to encourage and incentivise the application and commercialisation of research generated by the UK research base. These programmes are supported both directly by BIS, and also through organisations that it funds and sponsors, such as the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board.
	Such programmes run by the Technology Strategy Board include the Collaborative R&D projects, the Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme, and the establishment of an elite network of Catapult Centres in which the Government is investing over £200 million.
	The Government is committed to accelerating the commercialisation of research, following announcements in the autumn statement, and the subsequent publication of the ‘Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth and the Strategy for UK Life Sciences’.

Office of Fair Trading: Competition Commission

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in the (a) Office of Fair Trading and (b) Competition Commission in the last month in which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the likely number of full-time equivalent staff to be employed in the proposed Competition Markets Authority.

Norman Lamb: holding answer 21 June 2012
	As at 31 May 2012, the Office of Fair Trading employed 542 full-time equivalent staff and 70 agency, interim or specialist contractor non-payroll staff. As at 31 May 2012, the Competition Commission employed 130 full-time equivalent staff and 15 agency, interim or specialist contractor non-payroll staff. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), expects to appoint the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Chair-designate in summer 2012. The Chair-designate will oversee the process of designing the organisational structure of the CMA, in consultation with Government, the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission so that the CMA is ready to take on its full functions, staff and new cases in April 2014. This process will take account of the need to retain the professional skills and expertise of staff at the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission.

Origin Marking

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to raise the awareness of the difference between country of origin and country of manufacture.

Norman Lamb: holding answer 4 July 2012
	We have not taken steps to raise awareness of the difference between country of origin and country of manufacture.

Parliamentary Private Secretaries: Visits Abroad

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will list the occasions since May 2010 on which his parliamentary private secretary has travelled overseas with him or on his behalf.

Norman Lamb: There have been none.

Public Expenditure

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 23 April 2012 at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, 
	(1)  what progress his Department has made on identifying a proportion of its resource budget that can be reprioritised; what steps he has taken to identify such funds; and which parts of his Department's resource budget he has identified as suitable for reprioritisation;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his Department's agencies and the non-departmental bodies for which he is responsible on the contribution they will make to identifying resource budget for possible reprioritisation;
	(3)  when he will make public the areas of his Department's resource budget he has identified for possible reprioritisation; and when he plans to report to the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee on the outcome of this exercise.

Norman Lamb: The Department is working with the Treasury to agree contingency plans as set out in “Improving Spending Control”
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/improving_spending_control.pdf
	Plans and options for reprioritisation will not be published. They should be “live” plans that are reassessed and updated on an ongoing basis.

Retail Trade: Newspaper Press

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of trends in the size of the independent retail newsagent sector in the last five years; and what steps he is taking to address the causes of closures in the sector.

Mark Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 300-1W.

Retail Trade: Newspaper Press

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an assessment of the (a) level of supply within the wholesale distribution sector of the news and magazine market, (b) terms upon which services are supplied to retailers in the market and (c) level of charges levied upon newsagents; and if he will make an assessment of the level of redress for poor provision of services to retailers.

Mark Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 June 2012, Official Report, column reference 299-300W.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Parliamentary Private Secretaries: Visits Abroad

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will list the occasions since May 2010 on which his parliamentary private secretary has travelled overseas with him or on his behalf.

Jeremy Hunt: Since May 2010, my parliamentary private secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Reading East (Mr Wilson), has not accompanied me on any overseas trips or travelled overseas on my behalf.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2012, Official Report, column 774W, on Atos, what the total value per year was of each contract between his Department and Atos in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012.

Alan Duncan: DFID has centrally let six contracts with Atos since 2009. Details of the value per year of each contract are provided in the following table.
	Total monetary value is the total value across the lifetime of the contract. Two of the contracts include funds and grants to be managed by Atos.
	Two of the six contracts are framework agreements. Mini-competitions are run among all of the suppliers on the framework to award contracts for specific requirements. The framework agreement itself therefore has a nil value commitment and no guarantee of the value of business which may be awarded.
	
		
			 Contract title Total monetary value (£ million) Contract start date Contract end date Value per year (£ million per FY) 
			 Comprehensive Agricultural and Rural Development Facility Management Unit 1.04 30 August 2009 28 February 2010 2009-10: 1.04 
			 Safety and Access to Justice programme 17.76 14 March 2010 13 March 2014 2010/11: 4.75(1) 
			     2011/12: 5.12(1) 
			 Tracking Trends in Ethiopia's Civil Society Sector Programme 0.73 18 November 2010 8 April 2012 2010/11: 0.21 
			     2011/12: 0.52 
			 Federal Public Administration Reform programme in Nigeria 21.76 24 January 2011 24 January 2016 2010/11: 1.33(2) 
			     2011/12: 4.22(2) 
			 Fragile and Conflict Affected States Framework Agreement No committed value 1 February 2012 31 January 2014 n/a 
			 Governance and Security Framework Agreement No committed value 1 March 2012 28 February 2014 n/a 
			 n/a = Not applicable. 1 Total monetary value includes 1.5 managed funds and grants. 2 Total monetary value includes 8.98 managed funds and grants.

Developing Countries: Primary Education

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of progress on the millennium development goal on universal primary education; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: The international community has made significant progress on the millennium development goal (MDG) of universal primary education. The number of children out-of-school has fallen from 105 million in 1990 to 61 million today. Typically, it is the marginalised, poor and remote rural populations, and those affected by conflict and discrimination, who are still denied access to schooling. The UK is playing its part to make sure that we help to achieve MDG 2 and we are consistently encouraging our partners to do the same.
	DFID's 2012 annual report shows that the UK is supporting 5.3 million children in primary education and 600,000 in lower secondary in developing countries. The UK has also helped to train 90,000 teachers to improve the quality of education and assist children's learning. Over the comprehensive spending review period the UK has pledged to support 9 million children in primary school, over half of whom will be girls and 2 million in lower secondary.

Developing Countries: Primary Education

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on programmes to provide education in developing countries in the last three years.

Andrew Mitchell: DFID spent over £543 million in financial year 2008-09, £458 million in 2009-10 and £727 million in 2010-11 on programmes to help provide good quality basic education to children in our partner countries.
	DFID's 2012 annual report shows that these investments are supporting 5.3 million children in primary education and 600,000 in lower secondary in developing countries. The UK has also helped to train 90,000 teachers to improve the quality of education and assist children's learning. Over the comprehensive spending review period the UK has pledged to support 9 million children in primary school, over half of whom will be girls, and 2 million in lower secondary.

Overseas Aid

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of aid provided by his Department was allocated to (a) private sector bodies, (b) non-governmental not-for-profit organisations and (c) governments in each year since 2010.

Andrew Mitchell: DFID publish full information on expenditure across its bilateral and multilateral programme annually through its Statistics on International Development publication:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-International-Development-2011/
	Table 3 breaks down bilateral and multilateral expenditure by the main funding channels. In 2010-11, the latest year for which information is available, DFID spent £4.25 billion through its bilateral programme (representing 55% of total spend). 14.7% of DFID's bilateral programme was spent through non-governmental organisations, with 15.1% spent through recipient governments. Information on spend channelled through the private sector is not held centrally.
	In 2010-11, DFID spent £3.22 billion through its multilateral programme (42%) with the remaining 3% on administration costs.

West Africa

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what drought prevention projects his Department funds in West Africa.

Alan Duncan: Although it is not possible to prevent drought as it is essentially a recurring climactic event, it is possible to build resilience against its worst effects.
	We are supporting the people of West Africa in several ways. Firstly, we are working through multilateral partners—the World Bank, United Nations and the European Community—to ensure that their investments in the region support the development and expansion of social safety net programmes. Secondly, the UK is funding the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development programme (CAADP), which is promoting agricultural-led economic growth to reduce poverty. A number of Sahelian countries have prepared investment plans for this programme. Thirdly, the UK is a major funder of the Pilot programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR), which includes Niger as one of its priority countries. PPCR, which is managed by the World Bank, is supporting a $63 million programme in Niger to improve the resilience of the local populations and production systems to climate change and variability, which should improve food security.

JUSTICE

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2012, Official Report, column 672W, on Atos, what the value was of each contract between his Department and Atos in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012.

Kenneth Clarke: The value of each contract between this Department and Atos is between 2009 and 2012 is as follows:
	
		
			 £ million (excluding VAT) 
			  Contract value: 
			 Contract 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) — — 0.04 — 
			 Occupational Health (OH) — (1)15.00 — — 
			 DISC contract — — 173.90 — 
			 (1) The £15 million OH contract value is inclusive of the initial two-year contract period and the two year extension option. The Department took up an option to extend the contract by another 15 months in March 2012. Note: Contract values are recorded in the year that the contract or contract extension was signed.

Community Orders

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent progress he has made in his pilot projects for the delivery of intensive community sentences by payment-by-results arrangements.

Crispin Blunt: We are working with Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust, and with Wales Probation Trust, to develop proposals for two pilots of payment by results for offenders on community sentences. We expect the pilots to start in the spring of 2013.

County Courts

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many county court counters have been closed in England and Wales within the past 18 months; and how many will be closed in each year until 2015;
	(2)  how many staff will be (a) relocated and (b) made redundant due to counter closures in county courts in England and Wales;
	(3)  whether services provided by counters in county courts will be transferred to an online service before the end of this Parliament;
	(4)  whether members of the public who do not have access to the internet will receive paper applications from county courts where counters have been closed.

Jonathan Djanogly: A statement on 14 December 2010, Official Report, columns 816-18, announced the closure of 142 courts; of these 49 were county courts. In the past 18 months, 45 county courts have been closed. A further county court will be closed in September 2012, another in March 2013 and two in April 2013.
	These closures resulted in no staff being made redundant and 250 staff being relocated to other parts of HMCTS or other Government Departments.
	A written ministerial statement of 17 May 2011, Official Report, column 11WS, explained that Her Majesty's Court and Tribunal Service was exploring the potential to modernise the way in which it provided face to face services in the civil and family courts.
	As that statement made clear, such exploration is in the context of the 2008 document ‘Framework for the provision of front office services in civil courts’ and subject to local consultations. Local consultations have recently taken place on potential changes to these services and are currently being analysed. The outcome of these regional consultations will be published later this month.
	HMCTS already provide some services through online channels and we continue to explore how further services can be transacted in this way.
	In line with the 2008 Framework HMCTS would ensure that any changes would still enable users to deal with courts through paper applications if they need to do so.

Dangerous Driving

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will meet the hon. Member for Dudley North and other interested parties to discuss the system of justice in cases of death and injury by careless or dangerous driving.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice has received a letter from British Cycling of 1 June 2012 relating to a review of the criminal justice system to better protect road users, including the outcomes of cases where death and injury are caused by careless or dangerous driving. We will consult with colleagues across Government on the issues raised in the letter before we respond and consider whether a meeting would be helpful.

Defamation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what meetings he has had on including a public interest defence against libel lawsuits in the Defamation Bill;
	(2)  what meetings he has had on measures to restrict corporations from using libel actions or the threat of libel action to deter publications in the Defamation Bill.

Jonathan Djanogly: In developing the provisions in the Defamation Bill we have met a range of stakeholders including members of the legal profession, non-governmental organisations, internet organisations, media representatives and members of the scientific community. These meetings covered a range of issues including the defence of responsible publication on matters of public interest and whether to include proposals to restrict the ability of corporations to bring defamation actions.

Defamation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received from website operators on including protection from liability for libel for users' words in the Defamation Bill 2012.

Jonathan Djanogly: A wide range of views was submitted on the issue of responsibility for publication on the internet as part of public consultation on the Draft Defamation Bill, including from a number of internet organisations. In addition, in developing the provisions in the Defamation Bill we have met the Internet Service Providers Association and representatives of Yahoo!, Google, AOL, Facebook, Mumsnet, Twitter and BT.

Designated Public Places Orders

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many designated public place orders have been issued in (a) England and Wales, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) Ashfield constituency in the last three years.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	There have been in total 824 designated public place orders (DPPO) issued nationally since their introduction in 2001. Within the last three years 65 designated public place orders have been issued nationally. Within the last three years local authorities within Nottinghamshire have applied for and been issued by magistrates three designated public place orders. One of these was issued within Ashfield, in April of this year. Ashfield was issued with a DPPO covering certain specific locations within the town.

Domestic Violence: Sentencing

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will publish details of the numbers and lengths of sentences for crimes involving domestic violence in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  if he will publish details of the number of repeat offenders convicted for crimes involving domestic violence and the sentences they received in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: Data held centrally on the Court Proceedings Database do not include information about all the circumstances behind each case other than which may be identified from a statute. It is not possible to specifically identify offences of domestic violence from other offences of assault.
	The Police National Computer (PNC) does not include information about the circumstances behind each case and it is not possible to identify which convictions for repeat offenders for violence against the person were specifically for domestic violence offences.

Driving Offences: Custodial Treatment

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for (a) drink driving and (b) each other motoring offence resulted in a custodial sentence in (i) Enfield North constituency, (ii) London and (iii) England in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Findings of guilt and sentences of immediate custody at all courts for drink driving after consuming alcohol or taking drugs and other motoring offences in Greater London and England, from 2007 to 2011, can be viewed in Tables 1 and 2.
	Information centrally held by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) does not allow a breakdown of cases by parliamentary constituency.
	
		
			 Table 1: Findings of guilt at all courts for offences of drink driving and other motoring offences, England and Greater London, 2007-11(1) 
			 Region  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 England Causing death or bodily harm 374 317 431 524 469 
			  Dangerous driving 4,648 4,152 3,969 3,759 3,409 
			  Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 83,377 76,056 70,557 55,041 51,332 
			  Careless driving 36,279 63,608 86,033 58,053 50,388 
			  Accident offences 13,496 9,986 12,254 11,119 9,781 
			  Unauthorised taking or theft of motor vehicle 16,105 13,947 12,672 10,919 10,367 
			  Driving licence related offences 173,982 146,590 127,737 105,051 85,704 
			  Vehicle insurance offences 234,679 198,141 171,573 141,648 120,371 
			  Vehicle registration and excise licence offences 83,248 79,682 78,652 93,130 82,109 
			  Work record and employment offences 4,920 5,920 4,799 4,939 4,686 
			  Operator's licence offences 623 555 409 351 357 
			  Vehicle test offences 56,604 36,450 25,530 17,648 13,177 
			  Fraud, forgery etc. associated with vehicle or driver records 2,566 2,538 1,248 1,133 918 
			  Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition 14,486 13,763 14,587 14,374 12,727 
			  Speed limit offences 139,766 120,085 119,731 113,118 109,285 
		
	
	
		
			  Motorway offences (other than speeding) 1,941 1,659 1,207 961 726 
			  Neglect of traffic directions 27,262 22,491 24,258 24,260 22,752 
			  Neglect of pedestrian rights 2,164 2,236 2,275 2,076 1,885 
			  Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 4,026 4,311 4,251 2,766 2,214 
			  Lighting offences 4,912 4,478 4,219 3,859 3,263 
			  Noise offences 620 566 505 418 335 
			  Load offences 5,814 5,891 5,280 5,353 4,424 
			  Offences peculiar to motor cycles 2,127 1,663 1,622 1,311 1,084 
			  Miscellaneous motoring offences 74,170 46,633 34,680 66,373 56,795 
			        
			 Of which:       
			 Greater London(2) Causing death or bodily harm 45 35 45 71 58 
			  Dangerous driving 623 571 501 512 485 
			  Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 13,484 12,891 11,584 9,161 8,128 
			  Careless driving 6,116 11,241 14,765 15,129 14,089 
			  Accident offences 1,125 869 1,066 1,271 1,284 
			  Unauthorised taking or theft of motor vehicle 1,912 1,648 1,548 1,295 1,388 
			  Driving licence related offences 32,432 28,519 24,253 21,683 17,433 
			  Vehicle insurance offences 41,348 37,427 31,044 29,376 25,063 
			  Vehicle registration and excise licence offences 18,279 21,575 19,864 23,264 17,745 
			  Work record and employment offences 1,580 1,138 1,171 1,335 1,184 
			  Operator's licence offences 150 111 88 72 76 
			  Vehicle test offences 4,320 2,597 1,719 1,241 932 
			  Fraud, forgery etc. associated with vehicle or driver records: 419 379 259 188 128 
			  Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition 3,597 3,490 4,034 4,562 4,428 
			  Speed limit offences 9,864 14,537 14,037 11,652 13,055 
			  Motorway offences (other than speeding) 42 58 49 42 39 
			  Neglect of traffic directions 6,038 5,177 5,688 5,137 4,306 
			  Neglect of pedestrian rights 265 319 371 363 378 
			  Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 345 471 440 439 325 
			  Lighting offences 692 576 525 444 527 
			  Noise offences 75 57 46 43 35 
			  Load offences 680 838 1,147 1,885 1,331 
			  Offences peculiar to motor cycles 221 137 169 132 153 
			  Miscellaneous motoring offences 7,474 5,566 5,710 12,771 14,422 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) Includes Metropolitan police force area and City of London. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Sentences of immediate custody at all courts for offences of drink driving and other motoring offences, England and Greater London, 2007-11(1) 
			 Region  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 England Causing death or bodily harm 329 286 306 265 246 
			  Dangerous driving 1,892 1,691 1,634 1,429 1,384 
			  Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 3,658 3,256 2,688 2,004 1,872 
			  Accident offences 367 271 260 208 185 
			  Unauthorised taking or theft of motor vehicle 4,413 3,808 3,420 2,860 2,981 
			  Driving licence related offences 9,934 7,808 6,259 4,588 3,763 
			  Vehicle insurance offences 24 23 21 24 28 
			  Vehicle registration and excise licence offences 1 0 0 0 0 
			  Fraud, forgery etc. associated with vehicle or driver records 39 2 3 39 40 
			  Speed limit offences 0 0 29 0 0 
			  Neglect of traffic directions 0 0 8 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 1 0 0 0 0 
			        
			 Of which:       
			 Greater London(2) Causing death or bodily harm 39 29 34 39 31 
			  Dangerous driving 256 244 229 223 219 
			  Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 583 557 474 334 319 
			  Accident offences 42 44 32 37 26 
			  Unauthorised taking or theft of motor vehicle 527 437 398 321 358 
			  Driving licence related offences 1,802 1,561 1,213 879 749 
			  Vehicle insurance offences 0 4 3 6 2 
			  Vehicle registration and excise licence offences 1 0 0 0 0 
			  Fraud, forgery etc. associated with vehicle or driver records 4 1 1 4 6 
			  Speed limit offences 0 0 2 0 0 
			  Neglect of traffic directions 0 0 3 0 0 
			 (1 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) Includes Metropolitan police force area and City of London. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Driving Offences: Sentencing

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the change in the total immediate custodial sentences for (a) causing death by careless driving, (b) causing death by dangerous driving, (c) causing injury by careless driving and (d) causing injury by dangerous driving since the offence of death by careless driving was introduced in 2008;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the change in the average custodial sentence length for (a) causing death by careless driving, (b) causing death by dangerous driving, (c) causing injury by careless driving and (d) causing injury by dangerous driving since the offence of death by careless driving was introduced in 2008;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the reasons for the change in conviction rates for offences of death or injury by careless or dangerous driving since 2008;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the average length of custodial sentence for the offences of (a) causing death by dangerous driving, (b) involuntary manslaughter and (c) causing grievous bodily harm in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Other than where specified in a statute, information held centrally does not include all the circumstances of each case, it is not possible to identify from offences of careless or dangerous driving those cases which resulted from injury to the victim. From proceedings for offences of manslaughter it is not possible to identify those specifically identified as 'involuntary'.
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, and found guilty (including conviction ratio) and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts, with the average custodial sentence length, for selected driving offences, manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm, in England and Wales, from 2007 to 2011, can be viewed in the table.
	
		
			 Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, and found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts, with the average custodial sentence length (ACSL), for selected offences, England and Wales, 2007 to 2011(1, 2) 
			  2007 
			 Offence description Proceeded against Found guilty(3) Conviction ratio (percentage)(4) Sentenced(5) Of which: Immediate custody ACSL (months)(6) 
			 Causing death by dangerous driving 276 233 84.4 233 214 44.1 
			 Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs 40 67 167.5 67 65 39.2 
			 Causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving * * * * * * 
			 Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers — — — — — — 
			 Causing bodily harm by furious driving 7 5 71.4 5 — — 
			 Dangerous driving 4,705 4,118 87.5 4,221 1,566 8.9 
			 Careless driving without due care or attention(7) 34,675 28,614 82.5 28,615 — — 
			 Manslaughter 105 247 235.2 247 215 61.6 
			 Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm 5,467 1,733 31.7 1,734 1,548 43.7 
		
	
	
		
			  2008(8) 
			 Offence description Proceeded against Found guilty(3) Conviction ratio (percentage)(4) Sentenced(5) Of which: Immediate custody ACSL (months)(6) 
			 Causing death by dangerous driving 266 221 83.1 221 206 48.8 
			 Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs 27 46 170.4 46 45 46.6 
			 Causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving 2 4 200.0 4 — — 
			 Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers 1 1 100.0 — — — 
			 Causing bodily harm by furious driving 15 11 73.3 11 4 11.2 
			 Dangerous driving 3,940 3,534 89.7 3,664 1,386 9.5 
			 Careless driving without due care or attention(7) 47,924 40,686 84.9 40,689 — — 
			 Manslaughter 117 268 229.1 268 233 59.2 
			 Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm 5,836 1,661 28.5 1,664 1,548 49.4 
		
	
	
		
			  2009 
			 Offence description Proceeded against Found guilty(3) Conviction ratio (percentage)(4) Sentenced(5) Of which: Immediate custody ACSL (months)(6) 
			 Causing death by dangerous driving 252 225 89.3 233 218 44.2 
			 Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs 29 35 120.7 35 33 45.5 
			 Causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving 178 81 45.5 73 3 14.6 
			 Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers 19 11 57.9 10 1 5.4 
			 Causing bodily harm by furious driving 18 12 66.7 12 5 9.6 
			 Dangerous driving 3,887 3,387 87.1 3,484 1,309 9.1 
			 Careless driving without due care or attention(7) 53,512 46,601 87.1 46,603 — — 
			 Manslaughter 95 227 238.9 227 206 65 
			 Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm 6,672 1,676 25.1 1,674 1,553 52.1 
		
	
	
		
			  2010 
			 Offence description Proceeded against Found guilty(3) Conviction ratio (percentage)(4) Sentenced(5) Of which: Immediate custody ACSL (months)(6) 
			 Causing death by dangerous driving 196 154 78.6 158 140 49.1 
			 Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs 34 41 120.6 41 40 45.5 
			 Causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving 285 238 83.5 236 45 15.4 
			 Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers 22 22 100.0 22 4 8.4 
			 Causing bodily harm by furious driving 11 4 36.4 4 2 15 
			 Dangerous driving 3,495 3,182 91.0 3,175 1,134 9.7 
			 Careless driving without due care or attention(7) 55,188 48,576 88.0 48,582 — — 
			 Manslaughter 80 222 277.5 222 205 74 
			 Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm 6,789 1,737 25.6 1,734 1,604 54.2 
		
	
	
		
			  2011 
			 Offence description Proceeded against Found guilty(3) Conviction ratio (percentage)(4) Sentenced(5) Of which: Immediate custody ACSL (months)(6) 
			 Causing death by dangerous driving 175 114 65.1 115 110 48.7 
			 Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs 22 35 159.1 35 35 52.3 
			 Causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving 249 234 94.0 231 46 15.3 
			 Causing death by driving: unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured drivers 17 21 123.5 18 5 8.4 
			 Causing bodily harm by furious driving 13 7 53.8 7 4 5 
			 Dangerous driving 3,271 2,901 88.7 2,904 1,123 9.8 
			 Careless driving without due care or attention(7) 49,609 43,736 88.2 43,736 — — 
			 Manslaughter 72 192 266.7 192 166 78.8 
		
	
	
		
			 Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm 6,012 1,779 29.6 1,777 1,652 59.8 
			 * = Not applicable. (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed the number proceeded against as the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in an earlier year and the defendants were found guilty at the Crown court in the following year; or the defendants were found guilty of a different offence to that for which they were originally proceeded against. (4) The conviction ratio is based on the number of defendants found guilty in a particular year as a proportion of the number proceeded against in the same year. (5) The number of offenders sentenced can differ from those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year. (6 )Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (7) Includes offences of: failing to comply with an order to stop a moving vehicle; using a hand held mobile phone while driving; breach of requirements as to control of a vehicle; and other miscellaneous careless driving offences. (8) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Electronic Tagging

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many electronically monitored offenders on (a) community sentences, (b) bail and (c) release from prison on licence (i) deliberately tampered with their tag and (ii) breached their curfew in (A) 2009, (B) 2010 and (C ) 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The data are not collected centrally at this level of detail and it is not possible to provide this information except at disproportionate cost. The information is held within administrative databases by the two electronic monitoring contractors; however, extracting the data is complex as their databases are not designed to handle requests of this nature.
	Negotiations are currently under way with bidders for the next generation of electronic monitoring contracts; these include proposals for improved provision of management information. The new contracts are due to commence in April 2013.

Legal Aid Scheme

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many civil servants in his Department are working on a system to make legal aid available to welfare cases involving points of law in the lower tribunal.

Jonathan Djanogly: Six members of staff have been working on this matter, among other duties they are responsible for.

Legal Aid Scheme

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to devise a system to make legal aid available to welfare cases involving points of law in the lower tribunal.

Jonathan Djanogly: We are giving serious thought to this issue and are considering the exact scope of the concession as well as how such work will be delivered in the future. Once we have considered in full we will make an announcement.

Life Imprisonment

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners serving life sentences are held in (a) closed prisons and (b) open prisons.

Crispin Blunt: As at 31 March 2012 there were 7,819 prisoners serving life sentences, of which 7,226 were in closed prisons and 593 in open prisons in England and Wales. The figures for open prisons include those held in open prisons/YOIs and the relevant parts of multi-site establishments. It does not include those held in semi-open prisons or in small (under 50 place) open units at closed prisons.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	The numbers of such prisoners held in category D/open conditions will depend on how many of those prisoners pass the necessary robust risk assessment and the availability of spaces in the open prison estate at any one time.

Manchester Declaration

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent contribution his Department has made to implementation of the 2005 Manchester Declaration.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice's implementation of the 2005 Manchester Declaration, and of the 2009 Malmo Declaration and eGovernment Action Plan which supersede it, follows the Government's approach to Digital by Default as recommended by Martha Lane Fox as UK Digital Champion in her report published in November 2010. The Ministry of Justice digital strategy will be published alongside the Government digital strategy in December 2012.
	Progress on the Digital Agenda can be seen across the Ministry, including increased use of video services, enablement of digital working in the courts, and improved digital sharing of information across the CJS.

Offenders: Employment Schemes

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in exploring how the Work programme can best get offenders receiving community sentences into employment and reduce reoffending.

Crispin Blunt: Offenders serving community sentences can choose to access the Work programme at the three-month point of their claim for jobseeker's allowance, in the same way as other jobseekers defined as disadvantaged in the labour market. Otherwise, they are supported by Jobcentre Plus after making their claim for benefits and are mandated to the Work programme at nine or 12 months from the date of their claim, according to their age and other circumstances.
	For those offenders unable to access the Work programme, flexible support is offered through the Support Contract, Get Britain Working measures and the European social fund.
	The Ministry of Justice and the Department for Work and Pensions through the National Offender Management Service and Jobcentre Plus continue to work together to provide support to offenders to improve employment prospects because of the clear link to reduction in reoffending.
	From March 2012 employment support has been available through the Work programme to prisoners immediately on release.

Pleural Plaques: Compensation

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has any plans to review the case for pleural plaques compensation following the recent ruling on mesothelioma triggers.

Jonathan Djanogly: No: the mesothelioma trigger ruling has no bearing on the position in relation to pleural plaques.

Prison Service: Clinical Psychologists

Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many trainee psychologists who enter training with the prison psychological services have abandoned, suspended or otherwise ended their training in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: At any one time the Prison Service has a number of trainee psychologists employed. Trainee psychologists leave their training and/or employment with the Prison Service for a variety of reasons. This may be linked to experiencing difficulties with the training route, choosing an alternative career, changing employers or requiring a career break for domestic reasons.
	This table provides information on the number of individual trainee psychologists who have left the public sector Prison Service or National Offender Management Service headquarters over the required time period. It does not record those who may have left contracted prison sites.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2007-08 44 
			 2008-09 58 
			 2009-10 47 
			 2010-11 30 
			 2011-12 23 
			 Total 202

Prisoner Escapes

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have escaped from custody (a) during transfer between prisons and (b) in other circumstances in each month of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The number of escapes has been falling since 1995 when central recording of escapes began. Table 1 shows the number of escapes(1), by month over the last five financial years from (a) prison establishment, (b) prison escort(2), and (c) contractor escort(3) (which includes escapes from court(4)). Over this period there was just one escape of a prisoner during transfer between prisons. This occurred in May 2011.
	(1 )An escape is defined as when a prisoner is at liberty for 15 minutes or more before recapture, or an offence is committed during an escape lasting less than 15 minutes.
	(2) A prison escort is an escort performed by prison staff, often to hospitals.
	(3) A contractor escort is one undertaken on behalf of NOMS by a contractor to a court, originating from either a police station or a prison, or transferring prisoners between prisons.
	(4) Escapes from contractor escorts include escapes from court; the majority of contractor escapes are from insecure docks rather than escort vehicles.
	
		
			 Table 1: escapes, by month and escape type, from April 2012 
			  Prison establishment Prison escort Contractor escort 
			 April 2007 0 0 2 
			 May 2007 0 0 1 
			 June 2007 0 0 1 
			 August 2007 1 0 3 
			 September 2007 2 0 1 
			 October 2007 0 1 2 
			 November 2007 0 0 2 
			 December 2007 0 0 1 
			 January 2008 0 1 2 
			 March 2008 1 0 1 
			 April 2008 0 0 3 
			 May 2008 0 1 1 
			 June 2008 0 0 1 
			 October 2008 0 1 2 
			 November 2008 0 1 1 
			 December 2008 0 0 3 
			 January 2009 0 1 1 
			 February 2009 0 0 1 
			 March 2009 1 0 2 
			 April 2009 0 1 0 
			 May 2009 1 0 1 
			 July 2009 1 0 1 
			 September 2009 0 0 2 
			 October 2009 0 0 3 
			 November 2009 0 0 1 
			 December 2009 0 1 0 
			 February 2010 0 0 3 
			 March 2010 0 1 1 
		
	
	
		
			 May 2010 0 1 2 
			 June 2010 1 0 1 
			 July 2010 0 0 2 
			 August 2010 0 0 2 
			 December 2010 0 0 1 
			 January 2011 0 0 1 
			 March 2011 0 0 1 
			 May 2011 0 1 1 
			 June 2011 0 0 4 
			 July 2011 0 0 3 
			 October 2011 2 0 0 
			 November 2011 0 0 2 
			 December 2011 0 0 1 
			 January 2012 0 1 2 
			 March 2012 0 0 1 
			 Total 10 12 67 
			 Note: Months when there are zero escapes in all three categories are not shown.

Prisoners

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners convicted of murder are held in (a) closed and (b) open prisons.

Crispin Blunt: As at 31 March 2012 there were 4,821 prisoners under sentence for murder in closed prisons and 363 in open prisons in England and Wales. The figures for open prisons include those held in open prisons/YOIs and the relevant parts of multi-site establishments. It does not include those held in semi-open prisons or in small (under 50 place) open units at closed prisons.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	The numbers of such prisoners held in Category D/open conditions will depend on how many of those prisoners pass the necessary robust risk assessment and the availability of spaces in the open prison estate at any one time.
	All murderers will be serving indeterminate sentences. Depending on the minimum sentence or “tariff” and the risk they pose, such prisoners move through their sentence via a series of progressive transfers into lower security establishments in the closed prison estate. The decision to transfer indeterminate sentenced prisoners (ISPs) to open conditions is a categorisation decision which is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. The Secretary of State may take this decision after seeking advice from the Parole Board or executively where the prisoners have demonstrated exceptional progress in closed conditions.
	ISPs are normally considered for recategorisation to open conditions no earlier than three years before the end of their tariff.
	Moving ISPs to open conditions is an important part of the offender's rehabilitation. It tests their suitability for eventual release while still maintaining many of the restrictions of a closed prison. Should the offender's behaviour in open conditions give rise to concerns, he/she can be returned to closed conditions.

Prisoners

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what account is taken of the views of the family of the victim in deciding to transfer a person convicted of murder to an open prison.

Crispin Blunt: Under the statutory victim contact scheme operated by Probation Trusts, by virtue of Section 35 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, victims of certain serious sexual or violent crimes, including victims bereaved by murder, where the offender has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment or more may elect to receive information about key developments in the offender’s sentence. This includes notification that a prisoner is being considered for a move to an open prison and the outcome.
	When a prisoner is being considered for allocation to open conditions, where the victim lives is one of the factors taken into account in determining to which open prison he should be transferred, if a transfer is approved.

Prisons: Mother and Baby Units

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many mothers with babies were held in prison in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) began to collect information centrally on how many mothers with babies were held in prisons in England and Wales from 2010. The average number of women in prison with babies on a Mother and Baby Unit from June 2010 to May 2012 was 49. Data for 2007-2009 are not available.

Remand in Custody: Young People

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent progress has been made by the Youth Custody Pathfinder pilots in reducing the number of young people in the pilot areas who are remanded in custody.

Crispin Blunt: Pathfinder is a two year project that has now been running for six months. The four Pathfinder areas have used this period to implement and embed a range of innovative approaches and processes. Given the relatively early stage of the initiative, it is premature to gauge achievement in terms of numbers. However, an independent evaluation has been commissioned. This will report in 2014.

Reoffenders

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of reoffending by offenders sentenced to less than 12 months in prison in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice does not make a routine estimate of the cost to the economy of reoffending.
	The latest Ministry of Justice Statistics (for the 12 months ending June 2010) show that 56.8% of prisoners sentenced to less than 12 months are reconvicted within a year of release. For more information on reoffending see the MoJ website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/reoffending/proven-re-offending
	The latest cost estimates available on reoffending come from a 2010 National Audit Office (NAO) study, which estimates an economic and social cost of £7 billion to £10 billion a year for prisoners sentenced to less than 12 months. The estimate is based on a 1999 Home Office study of the economic and social cost of crime in England and Wales adjusted for inflation and changed crime levels to 2007-08 costs. For more information please see the National Audit Office website:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0910/short_custodial_sentences.aspx

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: Private Prosecutions

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of private prosecutions brought before the courts by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not include the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute. It is not possible to identify from this centrally held information the number of private prosecutions brought before the courts by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Squatting

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether he has made any plans to extend the squatting provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 to public parks;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with representatives of the police on the commencement of the squatting provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Crispin Blunt: My officials have been working closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government to liaise with the police, local authorities and homelessness organisations to raise awareness of the offence and to prepare for commencement. One of the keys to effective enforcement will be joined up working between the different agencies. We are not planning to extend the offence to land at this stage, but will keep the situation under review.

Unpaid Fines: Sentencing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) women and (b) men were held in prison for non-payment of fines in the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the numbers of women and men held in prisons in England and Wales, as at 30 June of each year, for non-payment of fines. These figures are published annually in table A1.1 of the Offender Management Statistics Annual tables available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/oms-quarterly
	
		
			  2007 2008 2009 2009(1) 2010 2011 
			 Female 6 11 14 13 18 11 
			 Male 62 99 99 86 111 118 
			 (1) Due to the introduction of a new prison IT system in 2010 prison population data are now taken from a different source. The 2009 figures from both the old and new systems have been presented to aid comparison. 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Victim Support Schemes

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the administrative cost of transferring responsibility for commissioning victims' services to police and crime commissioners; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: In January when the consultation “Getting it right for victims and witnesses” was published, we stated our aim that administration costs would not exceed 10% of the total victims' funding provided to police and crime commissioners (PCCs). We now believe that actual costs will be much less. The office of the PCC will already have the infrastructure and skills to commission services in respect of community safety, and adding victims' services to this ought to be achieved at minimal cost.
	The current process through which providers bid to central Government for funding is not without bureaucracy and nor is it free of costs.

Victim Support Schemes

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to publish his Department's response to the consultation, “Getting it right for victims and witnesses”.

Crispin Blunt: We published the Government response to the consultation on 2 July.

Work Capability Assessments: Appeals

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to his Department was of appeals made to the Tribunal Service against work capability assessment decisions in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012 to date.

Jonathan Djanogly: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) (decisions in which the work capability assessment is a key factor) rather than appeals against work capability assessment decisions themselves.
	The total cost of the 189,459 ESA appeals disposed of during the financial year 2011-12 in which the work capability assessment was a factor is estimated £45 million.
	These estimated costs were calculated by multiplying the average cost of an individual First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support case in 2010-11 (the latest period for which these data are available) by the number of ESA appeals disposed of, in which the work capability assessment was a factor.
	There is currently no information available for the 2012-13 financial year as we have not yet finalised and published the first quarters' financial data to enable an estimate to be provided.

Work Capability Assessments: Appeals

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the response of his colleague of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 511W, on work capability assessments: appeals, if he will publish statistical information on the outcome of appeals to the work capability assessment decisions within and between tribunals.

Jonathan Djanogly: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) (decisions in which the work capability assessment is a key factor) rather than appeals against work capability assessment decisions themselves.
	In the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, there were 189,459 ESA appeals disposed of, in which the work capability assessment was a factor. I will write and place information in the House, when details of the outcomes of hearings are available.
	The Ministry of Justice is considering the cost and benefits of producing and publishing data for tribunals at a local area level.

Young Offenders

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of 10 and 11-year-olds convicted in court had committed a non-violent offence by (a) age and (b) offence in 2010-11.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants aged 10 and 11 years found guilty at all courts, by offence group, in England and Wales, in 2010 and 2011, can be viewed in the following table:
	
		
			 Defendants aged 10 and 11 found guilty at all courts, by offence group, England and Wales, 2010 and 2011(1,2) 
			  2010 2011 
			 Age and offence group Found guilty Percentage (%)(3) Found guilty Percentage (%)(3) 
			 10 years     
			 Violence against the person 2 4.8 3 8.8 
			 Sexual offences — — — — 
			 Burglary 6 14.3 4 11.8 
			 Robbery 3 7.1 1 2.9 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 10 23.8 2 5.9 
			 Fraud and forgery — — — — 
			 Criminal damage 1 2.4 7 20.6 
			 Drug offences — — — — 
			 Other indictable offences — — — — 
			 Indictable motoring offences — — — — 
			 Indictable total 22 52.4 17 50.0 
			      
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 19 45.2 17 50.0 
			 Summary motoring offences 1 2.4 — — 
			 Total summary offences 20 47.6 17 50.0 
			      
			 All offences 42 100.0 34 100.0 
			      
			 11 years     
			 Violence against the person 22 8.4 22 10.5 
			 Sexual offences 6 2.3 6 2.9 
			 Burglary 18 6.9 17 8.1 
			 Robbery 10 3.8 12 5.7 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 50 19.2 41 19.6 
			 Fraud and forgery — — 1 0.5 
			 Criminal damage 22 8.4 16 7.7 
			 Drug offences — — 1 0.5 
			 Other indictable offences 4 1.5 8 3.8 
			 Indictable motoring offences — — — — 
			 Indictable total 132 50.6 124 59.3 
			      
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 126 48.3 83 39.7 
			 Summary motoring offences 3 1.1 2 1.0 
			 Total summary offences 129 49.4 85 40.7 
		
	
	
		
			 All offences 261 100.0 209 100.0 
			 ‘—’ = Nil (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Proportion of defendants proceeded against who were found guilty. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Young Offenders: Enfield

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) juvenile offenders and (b) young offenders from the London Borough of Enfield have been held in a (i) secure children's home, (ii) secure training centre and (iii) under 18 young offender institution in each month from May 2005 to April 2012.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 shows the number of juvenile offenders (aged 10 to 17 years) either sentenced or remanded in custody attached to the Enfield Youth Offending Team (YOT) who have been held in a (i) secure children's home (SCH), (ii) secure training centre (STC) and (iii) under 18 young offender institution (YOI) in each month from May 2005 to April 2012.
	This data has been provided by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). The YJB holds data at the YOT area level, not at the local authority level. YOT area data may cover more than one local authority area.
	Data provided for table 1 is based upon monthly snapshot population data. Therefore one young person who is held more than one month in custody may be shown in more than one month in the table.
	Data from April 2011 onwards are provisional. Data for the financial year 2011-12 will be finalised when the 2011-12 Annual Youth Justice Statistics are published in 2013 and data for the financial year 2012-13 will be finalised in 2014.
	Young adult offenders (aged 18 to 20 years) are not held in secure children's homes, secure training centres, or under 18 young offender institutions. Some juvenile offenders, however, remain in the youth secure estate after they have turned 18 if they have only a short period of their custodial sentence to serve.
	Table 2 shows the number of young adult offenders aged 18 years old from the London borough of Enfield who were held in under 18 young offender institutions. These data have been provided by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). One month's worth of data was collected centrally in May 2009 and has been available on a bi-monthly basis from September 2010.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of young people (10-17) in custody attached to Enfield Youth Offending Team by establishment type 
			  Secure Children's Homes Secure Training Centres Young Offender Institutions 
			 May 2005 0 1 23 
			 June 2005 0 1 16 
			 July 2005 0 1 15 
			 August 2005 1 3 15 
			 September 2005 1 5 13 
			 October 2005 0 1 18 
			 November 2005 0 1 20 
			 December 2005 0 2 21 
			 January 2006 0 2 20 
			 February 2006 0 2 23 
			 March 2006 0 2 23 
			 April 2006 2 2 21 
			 May 2006 1 1 26 
			 June 2006 1 0 22 
			 July 2006 1 0 27 
			 August 2006 1 2 28 
			 September 2006 0 3 28 
			 October 2006 0 1 25 
			 November 2006 0 3 25 
			 December 2006 1 2 26 
			 January 2007 0 3 28 
			 February 2007 0 3 29 
			 March 2007 0 3 24 
			 April 2007 0 2 27 
			 May 2007 0 2 26 
			 June 2007 0 2 25 
			 July 2007 0 2 20 
			 August 2007 1 2 16 
		
	
	
		
			 September 2007 1 3 22 
			 October 2007 0 3 22 
			 November 2007 0 2 22 
			 December 2007 0 1 23 
			 January 2008 0 2 16 
			 February 2008 0 3 17 
			 March 2008 0 2 17 
			 April 2008 0 0 20 
			 May 2008 0 0 20 
			 June 2008 0 2 20 
			 July 2008 0 1 22 
			 August 2008 0 2 19 
			 September 2008 0 2 16 
			 October 2008 0 1 17 
			 November 2008 0 1 18 
			 December 2008 0 1 14 
			 January 2009 0 0 16 
			 February 2009 1 0 19 
			 March 2009 1 0 16 
			 April 2009 1 1 18 
			 May 2009 1 3 17 
			 June 2009 0 3 15 
			 July 2009 0 1 15 
			 August 2009 0 0 16 
			 September 2009 0 2 16 
			 October 2009 0 1 16 
			 November 2009 0 2 11 
			 December 2009 0 0 9 
			 January 2010 0 0 7 
			 February 2010 0 1 12 
			 March 2010 0 0 9 
			 April 2010 0 2 11 
			 May 2010 1 2 13 
			 June 2010 0 2 17 
			 July 2010 0 3 15 
			 August 2010 0 2 14 
			 September 2010 0 3 13 
			 October 2010 0 4 13 
			 November 2010 0 2 14 
			 December 2010 0 3 10 
			 January 2011 0 3 11 
			 February 2011 0 1 18 
			 March 2011 0 2 20 
			 April 2011 1 2 17 
			 May 2011 0 1 14 
			 June 2011 0 1 20 
			 July 2011 0 4 16 
			 August 2011 0 3 17 
			 September 2011 1 4 22 
			 October 2011 0 5 21 
			 November 2011 0 3 26 
			 December 2011 0 3 24 
			 January 2012 0 2 24 
			 February 2012 0 2 19 
			 March 2012 0 3 15 
		
	
	
		
			 April 2012 0 3 12 
			 Notes: 1. The data come from the Youth Justice Board's Secure Accommodation Clearing House System (SACHS). 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time. 3. The YJB does not hold data at local authority level. However, it does hold data down to Youth Offending Team area, some of which cover more than one local authority area. 4. The table shows the number of young people aged 10-17 attached to the Enfield Youth Offending Team who have been held in a (i) secure children's home, (ii) secure training centre and (iii) under 18 young offender institution in each month since May 2005 to April 2012. 5. This is based upon monthly snapshot population data. Therefore one young person who is held more than one month in custody, may be shown in more than one month in the table below. 6. Please note, data from April 2011 onwards are provisional. Data from April 2011 onwards will be finalised when the 2011-12 Annual Youth Justice Statistics are published in 2013 and data from April 2012 will be finalised in 2014. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of young adult offenders (aged 18) held in under 18 young offender institution attached to London borough of Enfield 
			  Numbers of young adult offenders (held in under 18 YOIs) 
			 May 2009 2 
			 September 2010 0 
			 November 2010 0 
			 January 2011 0 
			 March 2011 1 
			 May 2011 1 
			 July 2011 1 
			 September 2011 1 
			 November 2011 1 
			 January 2012 2 
			 March 2012 2 
			 May 2012 4 
			 Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from the NOMS administrative IT system, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. 2. Information on offenders’ residences is provided by offenders on reception into prison and recorded on a central IT system. Addresses can include a home address, an address to which offenders intend to return on discharge or next of kin address and these figures are provided in the table above. 3. If no address is given, an offender’s committal court address is used as a proxy for the area in which they are resident. These figures are also included in the table above. No address has been recorded and no court information is available for around 3% of all offenders, these figures are excluded from the table above. 4. One month’s worth of data were collected centrally in May 2009 and have been available on a bi-monthly basis from September 2010.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Housing

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of expenditure on service accommodation after 2015;
	(2)  how much of the budget for service accommodation will be spent on (a) upgrading service accommodation and (b) new service accommodation in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14, (iii) 2014-15, (iv) 2015-16 and (v) 2016-17;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the likely level of spend on service accommodation from the defence budget in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d) 2015-16 and (e) 2016-17.

Andrew Robathan: The majority of expenditure on service accommodation is by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). The DIO's budget for new or upgraded service accommodation is treated as a single source of funding.
	The planned expenditure currently contained within the DIO's Control Totals on accommodation and the provision of new and upgraded accommodation in financial years 2012-13 to 2016-17 is expressed in the following table. This reflects the pause in provision of new and upgraded service accommodation between 2013-14 and 2015-16 which is partially offset by the additional £100 million for 2013-14 of investment announced in this year's budget.
	
		
			 £ million 
			   Of which: 
			 Financial year Estimated DIO expenditure on accommodation Planned expenditure on new and upgraded accommodation 
			 2012-13 487 118 
			 2013-14 490 117 
			 2014-15 399 17 
			 2015-16 410 18 
			 2016-17 538 136 
		
	
	The current estimate of expenditure on service accommodation after 2015 is some £538 million per financial year, rising to some £562 million in 2019-20.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army personnel were made redundant within (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) one year of qualifying for their full pension rights in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: No Army personnel have been selected, within the specified periods, of qualifying for their full pension rights. This is because full pension rights are only granted at the completion of a full military career and all Army personnel within the last three years of their engagement were ineligible for consideration under the redundancy scheme.
	There will, however, be some Army personnel who have been selected, within the specified periods, of qualifying for their immediate pension point, this being the point at which a pension is paid immediately on leaving the Army. Because of the complexity of pension calculations, the exact number of Army personnel affected by this could only be determined by a manual analysis of the records of those selected for redundancy, which could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, early analysis indicates approximately 55 (roughly 1.4%) of the 3,820 Army personnel selected for redundancy in Tranches 1 and 2 are non-applicants who will be within one year of qualifying for an immediate pension or equivalent on their redundancy exit following a reduction in the qualifying period for the majority of other ranks from 22 years to 18 years enabling many redundees to receive an immediate income for which they would otherwise not have qualified.

Armed Forces: Training

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department has any plans to review the defence training estate; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans his Department has for the rationalisation of the defence training estate; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 3 July 2012
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is developing its “Footprint Strategy” to determine an affordable and sustainable infrastructure of the right type, size and quality in the right place to support Future Force 2020 operational capability. The Defence Training Estate will form part of the “Footprint Strategy” review.
	The return of the Army from Germany, restructuring under Army 2020 and other strategic defence and security review initiatives will result in changes to the basing of units and the estate required for them to train. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation is working with each command headquarters to draw up plans to meet the future training requirement.
	The MOD will continue to look to make the most efficient use of the Defence Training Estate and will continue to identify and dispose of sites that are no longer needed, ensuring that we are making optimum use of the sites that remain.

Armed Forces: Training

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department plans to review the structure of training for armed forces personnel.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 3 July 2012
	Training of armed forces personnel remains under constant review. The implementation of Lord Levene's report on defence reform has led to some restructuring in the areas of joint and collective training under the joint forces command. In addition, the Defence Technical Training Change programme will transform Defence Technical Training, rationalising the training estate in line with Defence objectives, reducing the military manpower involved in the delivery of training, and maintaining training to the standards required by the front line commands. The three services continue to deliver individual and special-to-role training.

Defence: Procurement

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012 on defence procurement, what the urgent operational requirements are which are referred to in the answer.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 3 July 2012
	Urgent operational requirements (UORs) address urgent and unforeseen capability gaps in support of a current or imminent military operation. Often this means responding to new or evolving threats posed by our adversaries and as such, much of the detail on specific equipment remains operationally sensitive. It would not be appropriate to release information on individual UORs that could compromise the safety of our troops.
	While specific details of the 327 UORs referred to in the answer given on 21 May 2012 cannot be disclosed, I can confirm that the majority of UORs have been in the areas of force protection, counter improvised explosive device (C-IED), rotary wing, tactical air transport, situational awareness, and protected mobility.

Lost Property

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of items lost or stolen from his Department in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Andrew Robathan: The estimated value of losses due to suspected theft was £2,452,485 in 2009-10; £967,103 in 2010-11 and £2,206,518 in 2011-12.
	Estimates of loss are provided when suspicions are initially reported. These figures will fluctuate on an annual basis depending on the particular allegations under investigation in any one year.

Departmental Staff

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what target he has set to reduce headcount across his Department, its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) announced planned reductions in the civilian workforce of 25,000 to be achieved by 2015. This was subsequently increased to about 28,500, as a result of further Defence Transformation decisions announced to the House by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, on 18 July 2011, and will constitute a reduction of one third of pre-SDSR numbers. Figures shown reflect the full time equivalent civilian workforce figures for 1 April 2010, 2011 and 2012, as published in the Quarterly Civilian Personnel Report for 1 April 2012, which can be found at:
	www.dasa.mod.uk
	
		
			  Number Cumulative difference 
			 1 April 2010 85,850 — 
			 1 April 2011 83,060 -2,790 
		
	
	
		
			 1 April 2012 70,940 -14,910

Mental Health

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to promote good mental health and wellbeing in his Department.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the health and wellbeing of both its military and civilian staff very seriously. For military staff, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 June 2012, Official Report, column 193-194W, to the hon. Member for North Tyneside (Mrs Glindon). Specifically for civilians, the MOD strives to help them to maintain or improve their health and wellbeing by the promotion of a number of activities, including sport and exercise, healthy eating and the provision of an occupational health and welfare service. A health and welfare champion has recently been appointed at senior level to encourage progress on this agenda.

Property

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the properties and their uses owned or leased by his Department outside the UK and Germany.

Andrew Robathan: A list of all of the Ministry of Defence properties outside the UK and Germany together with their uses is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EDUCATION

Adoption

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the average time taken was for the adoption process from first application to completion in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many adoptions have been completed in (a) the last year for which figures are available and (b) each of the previous 10 years.

Tim Loughton: The only information that the Department collects on prospective adopters is their gender, legal status and relationship status.
	For children adopted during the year ending 31 March 2011, the average time taken between entry into care and adoption was two years and seven months.
	However, within this period, the child will be ‘placed for adoption’, meaning he/she goes to live with the prospective adopters. At this stage, it is for the prospective adopters to apply to the court for an adoption order.
	For children adopted during the year ending 31 March 2011, the average time taken between entry into care and being placed for adoption was one year and three months.
	Further information on the average time between the different stages of the adoption process are shown in Table E2 of the national tables in the publication, “Children looked after by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)—year ending 31 March 2011”, which is available on the Department's website via the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/statistics-by-topic/childrenandfamilies/a00196857/children-looked-after-by-las-in-england
	The numbers of looked after children who were adopted during the years ending 31 March, for the latest 10 years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Looked after children who were adopted during the years ending 31 March(1, 2)—Years ending 31 March 2002 to 2011, Coverage: England 
			  Number 
			 2002 3,430 
			 2003 3,540 
			 2004 3,760 
			 2005 3,770 
			 2006 3,700 
			 2007 3,330 
			 2008 3,180 
			 2009 3,330 
			 2010 3,200 
			 2011 3,050 
			 (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. (2) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. Source: SSDA 903

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the recommendations of the report by Addaction entitled A Better Future for Families;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of new models of intervention developed as part of Addaction's Breaking the Cycle project for working families with substance misuse problems.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 3 July 2012
	Addaction's report and project will help improve the knowledge about interventions that work for families affected by substance misuse. The DCLG who lead on the Government's Troubled Families Programme will consider the report's recommendations and findings, particularly around the benefits of their family based interventions. Officials from the DCLG Troubled Families Unit recently visited the Brent project to meet staff and service users in the Breaking the Cycle project.

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the total monetary value is of each contract between his Department and Atos.

Tim Loughton: The Department has one contract with Atos (Origin IT Services) and the total monetary value of that current contract is £363,635.

Children in Care

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children's care homes there are in each council area in England and Wales; and how many are (a) privately owned and (b) run by the council in each such area.

Tim Loughton: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is required to register all children's homes and maintain a record of this information. This is in the public domain and can be accessed via the following link:
	www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/official-statistics-childrens~ social-care-providers-and-places

Children in Care

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of looked-after children who have been provided with an independent visitor in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 2 July 2012
	Local authorities looking after a child have a duty to appoint a person to be a child's independent visitor where it appears to them to be in the child's interest to do so and where the child wants one.
	Information on the number of looked-after children who have been provided with an independent visitor are not collected by this Department.
	The information that is collected by this Department relating to looked after children is published in the Statistical First Release ‘Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)—year ending 31 March 2011' which can be found on the Department's website via the following link below.
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001026/index.shtml

Class Sizes

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department is taking steps to decrease the average class size in schools.

Nick Gibb: Current legislation limits the size of an infant class to no more than 30 pupils to one school teacher. There is no class size limit for children aged eight and over and schools are best placed to decide on the shape and size of their classes, based on the resources available to them.
	Each local authority is responsible for managing the supply and demand for primary and secondary school places in their area. We are aware that in some areas there is a significant demand for more places. To support this, the Government is making £15.8 billion of capital funding available to local authorities over the next four years to ensure there are sufficient school places to meet the local need.

Human Trafficking: Children

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what process is used to establish how child victims of human trafficking are placed in local authority care.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 2 July 2012
	Responsibility for the care, protection and accommodation of child trafficking victims rests with local authorities under their duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, and in accordance with the Council of Europe Convention on Human Trafficking. Separated and vulnerable children from abroad have the same entitlements as UK born or resident children.
	Where a child is suspected of being trafficked and becomes looked after by a local authority, a social worker will be responsible for putting in place an individualised care plan covering the full range of the child's needs. The social worker will also make an assessment of the type of placement which best matches the needs of the child, including the need to safeguard them from contact with traffickers.

Leveson Inquiry

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much it cost to provide him with legal advice in relation to his appearance at the Leveson Inquiry.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 19 June 2012
	I refer you to the response given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on 21 June 2012, Official Report, column 1088W.

Low Associates

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has received any representations from Low Associates since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: No representations have been received from Low Associates.

Mental Health

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to promote good mental health and well-being in his Department.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education has a range of policies and procedures that facilitate the management of health and well-being for employees. Managers are encouraged to proactively implement processes as required with the support of shared services and HR as appropriate. Examples of approach are:
	Attendance: Managers are guided to proactively manage absence which includes reviewing the level and reasons for absence at various trigger points;
	return to work interviews to discuss issues/ potential issues and implement appropriate actions.
	Stress Management: provides good practice guidelines for managers to identify and as far as is reasonably practical, minimise the workplace factors which may lead to stress; supporting colleagues who are experiencing stress.
	Flexible working: the DfE encourages flexible working patterns; managers are required to ensure staff can achieve a good work/life balance and that business objectives are delivered by positive approach to flexible working.
	In addition to contractual leave entitlement, the DfE offers special leave which covers a range of situations when staff may need to be away from work, but that cannot be reasonably accommodated in their annual leave entitlement.
	Additional support available
	Advice and support is available from:
	Medigold—DfE's occupational health provider
	Right CoreCare—DfE's employee assistance provider
	Management information—used to identify trends and appropriate strategies
	The Department encourages staff to join sport and social activities; this includes an annual DfE sports and families day and the opportunity to join in various clubs and social activities across DfE sites.

Procurement

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of contracts issued by his Department were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in 2011-12; and what proportion this represented of the monetary value of contracts awarded by his Department in 2011-12.

Tim Loughton: From the information that has been published, the number of contracts awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's) from April 2011 to January 2012 was 61. The total spend with SME's in the financial year 2011/12 was £47.6 million.
	Further information can be found in the Cabinet Office publication “Making Government business more accessible to SMEs—One Year On”, which was released in March 2012. This is a progress report on enabling more SMEs to tender for Government procurements.
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/making-government-business-more-accessible-smes-one-year
	The Department does not hold contract information centrally and to report on the details of this question would incur disproportional costs.

Procurement

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many contracts issued by his Department were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in 2011-12; what proportion of that figure represents of all contracts let; and what the monetary value was of such contracts.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not hold contract information centrally and to report on the details of this question would incur disproportional costs.
	From the information that has been published, the number of Department for Education contracts awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's) from April 2011 to January 2012 was 61. The total spend with SME's in the financial year 2011/12 was £47.6 million.

Public Bodies

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the budget was of each public body he has abolished in the last full year of its operation; and what the budget was of each such body which he plans to abolish in the last year for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: The following table details the arm’s length bodies that have been abolished detailing their last full year of operation and the organisations budget for that year.
	
		
			 Last full year of Operation Organisation Budget (£ million) 
			 2010-11 British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) 173 
			 2011-12 Training and Development Agency (TDA) 557 
			 2011-12 Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) 111 
			 2011-12 General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) 11 
			 2011-12 National College for School Leadership (NCSL) 112 
			 2011-12 Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) 12,606 
			 2011-12 Partnership for Schools (PfS) 5,328 
			 2010-11 Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) 42 
		
	
	There are no plans to abolish any other bodies at present.

Publications

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many publications his Department has issued since May 2010; and what the title was of each (a) publication and (b) consultation document issued by his Department since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The Department has issued 15 publications since May 2010. Other information has been published on our website rather than as a printed publication. This is in order to secure value for money and promote wider access to our material. The publications are listed here by title:
	1. Teachers' pension scheme (England and Wales) resource accounts 2009-10; (for the year ended 31 March 2010)
	2. Department for Children, Schools and Families resource accounts 2009-10: (for the year ended 31 March 2010)
	3. The School Food Trust (a charitable company limited by guarantee) annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2010
	4. Draft statutory guidance for local duties on child poverty (Child Poverty Act 2010): report on and response to formal consultation held March to June 2010
	5. The importance of teaching
	6. Review of the Office the Children's Commissioner (England)
	7. Support and aspiration: a new approach to special educational needs and disability; a consultation
	8. A new approach to child poverty: tackling the causes of disadvantage and transforming families' lives
	9. The Munro Review of Child Protection: final report: a child-centred system
	10. Letting children be children: report of an Independent Review of the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood
	11. Teachers' pension scheme (England and Wales) annual accounts 2010-11: (for the year ended 31 March 2011)
	12. Department for Education annual report and accounts 2010-11: (for the year ended 31 March 2011)
	13. Independent Review of Key Stage 2 testing, assessment and accountability: Government response
	14. Post-legislative assessments of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, Childcare Act 2006 and Children and Adoption Act 2006: memorandum to the Education Committee of the House of Commons
	15. The Government response to the Family Justice Review: a system with children and families at its heart
	(b) The Department has published 72 consultation documents since May 2010. A list of the consultations follows, showing those which have been completed and those which are still running.
	Completed consultations
	1. Independent review of the Office of the Children's Commissioner—Call for Evidence
	2. Consultation on school funding.2011-12: Introducing a pupil premium
	3. Tickell review of the Early Years Foundation Stage—Call for Evidence
	4. Capital review—Call for Evidence
	5. Regulations governing fostering services, children's homes providers and adoption and fostering panels and statutory guidance on children's homes and fostering
	6. Green paper: children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities—Call for Views
	7. Arrangements for placement of children by voluntary organisations and others (England) regulations 2011
	8. Year 1 phonics check consultation
	9. Schools White Paper
	10. Key stage 2 testing and accountability review—Call for Evidence
	11. FE improvement
	12. Tackling child poverty and improving life chances: consulting on a new approach
	13. Independent review of personal, social, health, and economic education
	14. National curriculum review—Call for Evidence
	15. National signposting service
	16. Bailey review on the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood (stakeholder version)
	17. Bailey review on the commercialism and sexualisation of childhood (parents and carers version)
	18. Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability
	19. Financial support for 16 to 19-year-olds in education or training
	20. Ensuring good behaviour in schools: Guidance for governing bodies, head teachers, school staff and employers
	21. Academies' pre-16 funding: Options for the 2012/13 academic year
	22. A consultation on school funding reform: Rationale and principles
	23. Proposed changes to performance management and capability arrangements for teachers
	24. Consultation on the changes to the admissions framework
	25. Consultation on a revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
	26. Establishing a new Office of the Children's Commissioner for England (OCCE): Consultation on legislative proposals
	27. Implementation of the 2010-11 review of education capital (The James Review)
	28. A consultation on school funding reform: Proposals for a fairer system
	29. Proposed changes to the teacher disciplinary and induction regulations following the abolition of the General Teaching Council for England
	30. Qualifications for 14-16 year olds and performance tables
	31. Review of Personal, Social, Health and Economics (PSHE) education
	32. Consultation on proposed increases to contributions for members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme
	33. Changes to the Care to Learn child care support scheme
	34. Sure Start Children's Centre core purpose survey
	35. Auxiliary aids for children with disabilities
	36. Proposed changes to the newly qualified teacher (NQT) induction regulations for England
	37. Proposed changes to allow qualified teachers from further education and from the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to become permanent teachers in English schools
	38. Revised statutory guidance on the roles and responsibilities of the Director of Children's Services and the Lead Member for Children's Services
	39. 16 to 19 funding formula review
	40. Study programmes for 16 to 19-year-olds
	41. Removing the statutory duty to deliver work related learning at key stage 4
	42. Proposed amendment to the school governance (Constitution) (England) regulations 2007
	43. Consultation on the review of inter-country adoption legislation
	44. Call for Evidence for the independent review of early education and child care qualifications
	45. Consultation on revised school premises regulations
	46. The academies (land transfer schemes) regulations 2011
	47. Consultation on the changes to the admissions regulations
	48. Supporting families in the foundation years: Proposed changes to the entitlement to free early education and child care sufficiency
	49. A consultation on revised statutory guidance and regulations for exclusions from schools and pupil referral units in England
	50. Consultation on a revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (Learning and Development Requirements) (Amendment) Order 2012
	51. The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation: Determination of turnover for monetary penalties
	52. Consultation on proposed changes to the school staffing (England) regulations 2009 to require governing bodies to share information with prospective employers about whether head teachers and teachers have been in capability procedures
	53. Removing the duty on maintained schools to follow the information and communication technology (ICT) programmes of study, attainment targets and statutory assessment arrangements
	54. Consultation on the Raising the Participation Age (RPA) regulations
	55. Children's safeguarding performance information consultation
	56. Consultation on the education (Pupil Referral Units) (Application of Enactments) (England) (Amendment) regulations 2012
	57. Consultation on revised Sure Start Children's Centres statutory guidance
	58. Consultation on draft revised statutory guidance for local authorities on services and activities to improve young people's well-being
	59. New statutory guidance for the induction of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in England
	60. Proposed changes to allow schools to more easily employ industry experts to work as .instructors in schools
	61. Consultation on school funding reform: Next steps towards a fairer system
	62. Proposed changes to allow initial teacher training (ITT) in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) from September 2012
	63. A consultation on improving the assurance system for financial management in local authority maintained schools
	64. Reform of alternative provision
	65. Consultation on revision of the education (Independent School Standards) (England) regulations 2010
	Live consultations
	66. Review of regulations and national minimum standards for residential family centres
	67. Consultation on careers guidance for schools, sixth form colleges and further education institutions
	68. Protection of biometric information of children in schools: Consultation on draft advice for proprietors, governing bodies, head teachers, principals and school staff, young people, parents and representative bodies
	69. Safeguarding children: proposed changes to child performance legislation
	70. Regulations for removing the duty on maintained schools to follow the Information and Communication technology (ICT) national curriculum programmes of study, attainment targets and statutory assessment arrangements
	71. Consultation on revised safeguarding statutory guidance
	72. Co-operative parenting following family separation: Proposed legislation on the involvement of both parents in a child's life.

Schools: Discipline

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he intends to take to ensure local councils can take action to prevent disparity in the numbers of pupils with behavioural difficulties in maintained and non-maintained schools.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 23 May 2012
	All local authorities must agree and operate a fair access protocol which provides a transparent and locally agreed process for securing school places outside of the normal admissions round. All maintained schools and academies must participate in the protocol for their area. These protocols are designed to ensure that access to suitable education is found quickly for those children who are unable to secure a school place and that all schools in an area admit their fair share of children with challenging behaviour.
	Local authorities have specific statutory duties to arrange a suitable school place for all pupils with a statement of special educational needs, taking into account parental preferences and representations as to the school which is named in the statement.

Students: Finance

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of eligible students in (a) England and (b) Birmingham have received the minimum guaranteed bursary in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 3 July 2012
	The 16-19 Bursary Fund, which provides financial support for disadvantaged young people in further education and training, commenced at the beginning of the 2011/12 academic year. Data on the number of £1,200 bursaries awarded during the current year are not available. Provided the necessary regulations are put in place, mandatory data collections will take place from 2012-13 onwards.

Young People: Social Problems

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what work his Department has done to assess educational programmes designed to help young people develop the skills necessary to resist involvement in risky behaviour; and what plans he has to promote such programmes.

Sarah Teather: The Department is working with the Centre for Analysis of Youth Transitions (CAYT) to build a repository of quality assured studies on services and programmes that support the development of young people. Among other themes, it includes studies that are aimed at preventing risky behaviour and promoting good behaviour among adolescents, teenagers and young adults.
	The repository is a key element of the Department’s work to help demonstrate more effectively the value of youth development programmes and services from a range of stakeholders, including those charged with providing or commissioning services. The repository is available at:
	http://www.ifs.org.uk/centres/caytRepPublications
	Four of the first programmes to be assessed by CAYT, which are related to the prevention of alcohol misuse, will be publicised via the Public Health Responsibility Deal networks.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Employment and Support Allowance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department expects to pay Mr John Davies, a constituent of the right hon. Member for Birkenhead, the sum ordered to be paid to him by the employment and support allowance tribunal on 27 February 2012.

Chris Grayling: I will write separately to the right hon. Member concerning his constituent.

Housing Benefit

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number of households that will be affected by the housing benefit under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: The introduction of the social sector size criteria measure is likely to affect an estimated 660,000 working age housing benefit claimants living in the social rented sector in Great Britain at the time of its introduction in 2013/14.
	This estimate is contained in the impact assessment of the housing benefit change, which was updated on 28 June 2012 to coincide with the laying of the associated draft regulations. The impact assessment can be found at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011-ia.pdf

Housing Benefit

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many families received housing benefit in excess of (a) £30,000 and (b) £40,000 in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many families received housing benefit in excess of £50,000 in the last year for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Housing benefit (HB) recipients by average yearly award—Great Britain 
			  March 2011 March 2012 
			 All HB 4,869,040 5,014,650 
			 In excess of £30,000 2,170 1,380 
			 In excess of £40,000 450 360 
			 In excess of £50,000 160 110 
			 Notes: 1. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 2. Components may not sum to total due to independent rounding. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 4. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. The data are available monthly from November 2008 and March 2012 is the latest available. Methodology: Data are collected on a monthly basis and released as the Single Housing Benefit Extract 100% level data (SHBE). This provides the weekly housing benefit amount for each individual household. The annualised amounts are then calculated by multiplying by 52.18. Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract 100% individual level data (SHBE) March 2011 and March 2012.

Housing Benefit: East Lothian

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many under 25 year-olds in receipt of housing benefit in East Lothian constituency are also in receipt of jobseeker's allowance.

Steve Webb: Information is not readily available for housing benefit recipients aged under 25 at parliamentary constituency level, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit: Lone Parents

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of housing benefit recipients who are in employment are lone parents.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
	The economic status of all housing benefit (HB) recipients is not available. Information is only available for those HB recipients whose claim is not passported: that is for those who do not receive either income support, jobseeker’s allowance (income-based), employment and support allowance (income-based), or pension credit (guaranteed credit). A small proportion of the passported cases will be in part-time employment.
	The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Housing benefit recipients, non-passported, in employment by family type, Great Britain—March 2012 
			   Of which: are single, with child dependant(s) 
			  All employed Case load Proportion (percentage) 
			 Total 882,890 360,840 40.9 
			 Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 3. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data aree available monthly from November 2008 and March 2012 is the most recent available. 4. Passported status does not include recipients with unknown passported status. These data refer to people receiving housing benefit not in receipt of a passported benefit and are recorded as being in employment if their local authority has recorded employment income from either the main claimant, or partner of claimant (if applicable), in calculating the housing benefit award. People receiving passported benefits who are working part-time cannot be identified and are therefore not included in this analysis. 5. Case load is rounded to the nearest 10; proportion to one decimal place. Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE).

Independent Living Fund

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he proposes that the consultation on the future of the Independent Living Fund will be held.

Maria Miller: In a written statement on 5 December 2011, Official Report column 8WS, I announced that the Government would consult on future support arrangements for ILF users in spring 2012, alongside the publication of the planned White Paper on the future of care and support in England.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in 18 to 24-year-olds in Vale of Clwyd constituency claiming jobseeker's allowance for 12 months or more.

Chris Grayling: No specific assessment has been made of the Vale of Clwyd but it is likely to have been affected by the same factors that are driving the national trend. Under previous policies young people were required to move off jobseeker's allowance before they reached 12 months, either to a training allowance or temporary job. Those who later came back to JSA were counted as newly unemployed and this had the effect of holding the number of long duration claims at a much lower level than would have been the case given natural off-flow rates.
	Now individuals taking up work experience opportunities or entering the Work programme remain on JSA until they find a regular job. As their claim is not broken artificially, more young people are staying on JSA and moving into longer durations and the number claiming for 12 months or more is rising. In reality, however, the figures are more closely reflecting the true level of long-term unemployment.
	Taking account of the changes in the way people are counted, nationally the number of 18 to 24-year-olds either on JSA or another form of temporary support is slightly lower now than it was two years ago. Within this there has been a rise in the number on JSA for 12 months or more, as people are no longer moved off benefit automatically. But this has been more than offset by: a fall in the number of short-duration JSA claims, as fewer people are being re-cycled back onto the claimant count; and a fall in the number of people recorded separately because they are on a training allowance or in a temporary job.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to announce his decision on whether support for mortgage interest, including the current capital limit and waiting period, will be retained beyond January 2012.

Steve Webb: The Government announced at Budget 2011 that the temporary measures related to the capital limit and waiting period for mortgage interest would be extended until January 2013.

Remploy

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Wansbeck (Ian Lavery) of 25 June 2012, Official Report, column 12, on Remploy, which social enterprise organisations he has met in Wales.

Maria Miller: Since the beginning of 2012, specifically in Wales, I have visited the Porth Remploy factory, Cardiff Remploy Employment Services and Disability Wales.

Social Security Benefits

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the working age population has been on out of work benefits in each year since 2004.

Chris Grayling: Statistics on the proportion of the working age population on out of work benefits in each year from 2004 to 2010 are available on the Department's website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf
	Further guidance for users is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/espa.pdf

Social Security Benefits: Barnsley

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families in Barnsley Central constituency claim housing benefit; and how many such people claim less than £20,000 per annum.

Steve Webb: Statistics on the number of housing benefit recipients in Barnsley Central constituency are published on the Department's website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/hb_ctb_parlc_jan11.xls
	Information on how many housing benefit recipients in Barnsley Central constituency who claim less than £20,000 per annum is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Barnsley

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Barnsley Central constituency claim disability benefit; and how many such people claim less than £30,000 per annum.

Maria Miller: Statistics on caseloads and average weekly amounts of benefit for attendance allowance, disability living allowance, incapacity benefit/severe disability allowance and employment and support allowance claimants in the Barnsley Central parliamentary constituency are published on the Department's website at:
	http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html
	Information on how many attendance allowance, disability living allowance, incapacity benefit/severe disability allowance and employment and support allowance claimants in Barnsley Central parliamentary constituency who claim less than £30,000 per annum is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his letter to local authority chief executives on planning for welfare reform, which universal credit claimants he expects to continue to need face-to-face assistance.

Chris Grayling: Universal credit (UC) claimants with work-related requirements will be expected to attend the UC face-to-face service to access work support. In addition, we anticipate that some claimants who have particularly complex circumstances or particular needs will need face-to-face support.

Work Capability Assessment: Recordings

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have requested that their work capability assessments should be recorded in each of the last 12 months.

Chris Grayling: The Department is currently negotiating with Atos Healthcare to agree what contractual information will be required to monitor uptake of recordings.
	In the interim, departmental officials have asked Atos Healthcare to accommodate requests for recordings where the claimant requests in advance of their assessment.

WALES

Child Benefit

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many families in Wales will (a) no longer be eligible for and (b) receive a reduced level of child benefit as a result of changes proposed by the Government.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	This information is not available at the regional level.